VISUAL ARTS
CHERYL POPE EXHIBIT marks her first exhibition in Toronto to open this new project co-created with students from OCAD University and members of the community. Great Hall (1087 Queen St. W., 416-9277433). Wednesday until July 4. A CITY TRANSFORMED: IMAGES OF ISTANBUL THEN AND NOW Once known as Constantinople and Byzantium, Istanbul has thrived over the centuries to remain Turkey’s cultural and economic centre as well as its most highly populated city. This exhibition features nearly 70 images. Aga Khan Museum (77 Wynford Dr., 416-646-4677). Until June 26. FIELD TRIP: SARAH ANNE JOHNSON Part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, this exhibition focuses on both the light and the dark sides of concert culture. This exhibit documents the artist’s visits to music festivals from an adult perspective, with some of the photos altered either digitally or manually to highlight audiences’ emotions and sensations. The exhibition consists of 50 photographs from Johnson’s series. McMichael Canadian Art Collection (10365 Islington Ave, Kleinburg, 905-893-1121). Until Sunday. HURVIN ANDERSON: BACKDROP The work of this British artist explores the social history of the Caribbean through large landscapes and interiors. Moving from the greenery of the Caribbean wilderness to the interiors of its cities, the diversity highlights some of the rapid changes in the region over the decades, portrayed in paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until August 21. MADE IN CHINA: CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS THROUGH EXPORT ART Although the world seems to be getting smaller by the year, this exhibit highlights a time when the divisions between Europe and China were much smaller. On display are more than 100 objects, including paintings, porcelain, lacquer, silver and photography, all produced in China during the 18th and 19th centuries. Taken from the ROM’s collections, many of the objects are rarely displayed and highlight a period of history when Europe was hungry for Chinese art. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park, 416-586-8000). Until Aug. 1. MANY THINGS BROUGHT FROM ONE CLIMATE TO ANOTHER Showcasing artworks from the past 50+ years, this exhibit demonstrates how contemporary artists express their perceptions of modern life in all its complexity. Artworks range from paintings to floor lighting and sculpture using unusual objects. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-9796648). Until June 12. ORDINARY WEATHER: AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATHAN CYPRUS seeks to document the sense of wonder in Toronto that most of us miss everyday. Cyprus embarked on a bicycle trek of the city as a tourist and took photos of the unusual and the beautiful in Toronto’s seemingly ordinary landscape. Mackenzie House (82 Bond St., 416-392-6915). Until Sept. 22. SONG DONG’S COMMUNAL COURTYARD consists of 100 authentic Chinese wardrobe doors, creating small rooms and walkways to give the impression of how the lower classes live in cities such as Beijing. The installation is making its Canadian debut and is part of Dong’s ongoing series, Wisdom of the Poor. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until July 17. SUPERREAL: POP ART FROM THE AGO COLLECTION displays notable works that the gallery acquired through its Women’s Committee half a century ago: Andy Warhol’s Elvis I and II, George Segal’s
The Butcher Shop, Claes Oldenburg’s Floor Burger and Robert Rauschenberg’s Story. In the ‘60s, pop art changed everything about the way we see artworks — reacting to consumer culture and mass production by using it as an inspiration for a new kind of esthetic. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until Dec. 31. TATTOOS: RITUAL. IDENTITY. OBSESSION. ART. This exhibition looks at the many ways in which tattoos have become a part of different cultures, and how they moved from the fringes into the mainstream in our own. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park, 416-5868000). Until Sept. 5. THOMAS RUFF: OBJECT RELATIONS This exhibition by the German photographer features 40 large works of art made with collected and found images, manipulated and altered in a number of ways. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until July 31. TUNNEL VISION: THE STORY OF TORONTO’S SUBWAY features photographs, maps, plans and artifacts to showcase the great scale of the daily operations of the subway. Presented in co-operation with the Toronto Transportation Society. Market Gallery of the City of Toronto Archives (95 Front St. E., 416-3927604). Until June 11.