Markham Museum
Markham
On Friday September 20th I journeyed out to Markham to attend the opening reception for Land Slide: Possible Futures. I went with some reluctance not knowing what to expect and not looking forward to taking a rather long drive out to somewhere I was unfamiliar with. The main strip was under some reconstruction but once I arrived and pulled up in front the modern impressive museum building, I became more engaged if not curious.
Land Slide is a site specific public art exhibition sprawling over the 25 acres of the Markham Museum including 30 pioneer buildings constructed between 1830 and 1920. Shows by over 30 artists are included in the project as well as an extensive programming including panel discussions, a Saturday Film Series and dinners.
The poster for Landslide: Possible Futures
As I entered the building I saw one of my neighbours Jennifer Marman, a participating artist, which raised my comfort level. Leaving the modern museum building I saw lights coming from a multitude of small wooden pioneer like buildings. Each were occupied by an artist installation or video work. It was fun exploring the site in the dark, and some of the video works definitely benefited from it, such as Patricio and Dave Colongelo‘s video installation, The Line (2013).
Patricio and Dave Colongelo, The Line, 2013
Phil Huffman’s Slaughterhouse (2013), a multichannel video and sound installation, was engaging with peep holes into the slaughterhouse construction. Looking through them one could view a variety of scenes appropriate to the title. Huffman guided my five year old son to a peep hole at his eye level and what he could see from there was not frightening for him.
Phil Huffman, Slaughterhouse, 2013
I was strangely attracted to Skyhill Collective’s The Textured Structure (2013), an architectural intervention. I felt that I had been transported to a Salt Spring commune.
The Skyhill Collective , The Textured Structure, 2013
The curator, Janine Marchessault is also a Professor of Film and Media Studies at York University. She also has undertaken large projects in the past such as the Nuit Blanche’s, Museum for the End of the World and the Leona Drive Project. It must have been an arduous task putting together such a large group of artists for this project. The project had a great team working on it as well as many partners and collaborators. I can only image the many obstacles and challenges that might have been experienced putting together such an incredible exhibition.
Markham itself is an apt location for such a project as it is not only one of the fastest growing urban centres in Canada but also located in a rich agricultural belt. Change becomes very evident in this setting. It also must be challenging to get the audience to travel to see this exhibition, though there is an abundance of programming to attract visitors, as well as buses leaving from downtown Toronto. One artist I talked with had grown up in Markham but never visited the Museum. Hopefully locals would be curious enough to see this impressive project, in what seems a short run lasting, only till October 14, 2013. I encourage anyone with an interest in contemporary art to make the trek to Markham and catch this exhibition, a one of a kind experience.
Text and photo: Phil Anderson
*Exhibition dates: September 21 – October 14, 2013, Markham Museum, 9350 Markham Road, Markham. Gallery hours: Tues, Wed, Sun: 12 – 5, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 12 – 1 p.m. Extended hours: Sun, Sep 22: 12 – 7 p.m. Mon, Oct 14: 12 – 5 p.m.