MERCER

CURRENT EXHIBITION

SPACE: Lotus Laurie Kang | Mother Always Has a Mother: Brick

6 May 2023 - 7 September 2023

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Lotus Laurie Kang for its 2022–23 season for a yearlong series titled, Mother Always Has a Mother. Known for her sprawling installations and distinctive material repertoire, Kang’s practice is a dialogue with entropy. Elegantly disordered and richly layered, her site-sensitive works explore the relational bonds between time, […]

CURRENT EXHIBITION

Aziz Hazara: Bow Echo

Curated by Nasrin Himada

6 May 2023 - 22 July 2023
Opening Reception 5 May 2023 7pm

Aziz Hazara works across photography, video, sound, code, text, and installation to reflect on the geopolitical landscapes of his home in Afghanistan and the violent impacts of occupation, invasion and war. His practice looks at the technologies of power that form through surveillance, and those that manifest in the weaponization of representation. In Hazara’s film […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Lotus Laurie Kang | Mother Always Has a Mother: Burnt Orange

26 January 2023 - 5 May 2023

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Lotus Laurie Kang for its 2022–23 season for a yearlong series titled, Mother Always Has a Mother. Known for her sprawling installations and distinctive material repertoire, Kang’s practice is a dialogue with entropy. Elegantly disordered and richly layered, her site-sensitive works explore the relational bonds between time, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Lydia Ourahmane: Tassili

28 January 2023 - 15 April 2023
Opening Reception 27 January 2023 7pm

Lydia Ourahmane’s Tassili (2022), is the fourth commission in Mercer Union’s Artist First program. At the centre of the exhibition is a moving image work filmed in Tassili n’Ajjer, a Sahara plateau in southeastern Algeria. Once a fertile “plateau of rivers,” as the translation of its name implies, the region is now an arid expanse […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Lotus Laurie Kang | Mother Always Has a Mother: Wheat

30 September 2022 - 26 January 2023

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Lotus Laurie Kang for its 2022–23 season for a yearlong series titled, Mother Always Has a Mother. Known for her sprawling installations and distinctive material repertoire, Kang’s practice is a dialogue with entropy. Elegantly disordered and richly layered, her site-sensitive works explore the relational bonds between time, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

fORUM: Resonance and Transmission

17 September 2022 - 19 November 2022

Resonance and Transmission is a multi-part events program informed by Aimée Zito Lema’s embodied entanglements with archival materials. Exploring cultural and artistic responses to recorded histories, practices of appropriation, and corporeal memory, the series asks: What does it mean to resonate with a movement, an artist or an event? What does resonance mean and what […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Aimée Zito Lema: Scryer in the Archive

17 September 2022 - 26 November 2022
Opening Reception 16 September 2022 7pm

Throughout her practice, artist Aimée Zito Lema has engaged with questions of social memory and the body as an agent of resistance. Her exhibition at Mercer Union takes up these interests in relation to personal and collective photographic histories, with a particular meditation on how the diasporic experience complicates such categorical boundaries.   Moments of protest […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Evidence

Brian Belott, Petrit Halilaj, Ulrike Müller, Oscar Murillo, and Alanis Obomsawin

Curated by Amy Zion

24 June 2022 - 20 August 2022
Opening Reception 23 June 2022 7pm

This exhibition contains artworks that deal with themes, images and stories that some viewers may find distressing, including children’s experiences of residential schools, war, and the aftermath of conflict. An Exhibition Viewing Guide will be available in the gallery with more information; a digital version is available here.   Evidence is a group exhibition featuring […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Shellie Zhang | A day passes like a year: Ode to Summer

21 June 2022 - 17 September 2022

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Shellie Zhang for its 2021–22 season for a yearlong series titled, A day passes like a year. Known for her highly composed still life works that assemble objects of pop iconography, cultural construction, and diasporic memory, Zhang’s photographs offer vibrant gestures of reclamation, humor, and dissidence. In […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Shellie Zhang | A day passes like a year: Ode to Spring

21 March 2022 - 20 June 2022

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Shellie Zhang for its 2021–22 season for a yearlong series titled, A day passes like a year. Known for her highly composed still life works that assemble objects of pop iconography, cultural construction, and diasporic memory, Zhang’s photographs offer vibrant gestures of reclamation, humor, and dissidence. In […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Lawrence Abu Hamdan: 45th Parallel

26 March 2022 - 4 June 2022

45th Parallel focuses on the Haskell Free Library and Opera House—a unique municipal site between the jurisdictions of Canada and the United States. Constructed in 1904 under the patronage of the local Haskell family, this building was deliberately designed to straddle the frontier between Canada and the US as a symbolic act of unity in the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Shellie Zhang | A day passes like a year: Ode to Winter

21 December 2021 - 13 March 2022

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Shellie Zhang for its 2021–22 season for a yearlong series titled, A day passes like a year. Known for her highly composed still life works that assemble objects of pop iconography, cultural construction, and diasporic memory, Zhang’s photographs offer vibrant gestures of reclamation, humor, and dissidence. In […]

PAST EXHIBITION

fORUM: let it matter what we call a thing

13 January 2022 - 9 February 2022

Nasrin Himada leads a response under Mercer Union’s fORUM program, that extends on the themes of Onyeka Igwe’s exhibition, THE REAL STORY IS WHAT’S IN THAT ROOM. In a series of events, Himada invites artists and cultural practitioners to consider Igwe’s propositions, with particular attention to a so-called archive (2020)—the artist’s new film exploring the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Onyeka Igwe: THE REAL STORY IS WHAT’S IN THAT ROOM

6 November 2021 - 26 February 2022
Opening Reception 6 November 2021 11am

With a forensic lens, Onyeka Igwe’s commissioned film a so-called archive (2020), interrogates the decomposing repositories of Empire, and offers the central feature in her first solo exhibition in North America, THE REAL STORY IS WHAT’S IN THAT ROOM. Blending footage shot in two colonial archive buildings—one in Lagos, Nigeria, and the other in Bristol, United Kingdom—the film is a double […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Shellie Zhang | A day passes like a year: Ode to Autumn

22 September 2021 - 14 December 2021

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited artist Shellie Zhang for its 2021–22 season for a yearlong series titled, A day passes like a year. Known for her highly composed still life works that assemble objects of pop iconography, cultural construction, and diasporic memory, Zhang’s photographs offer vibrant gestures of reclamation, humor, and dissidence. In […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: The BAU | Functioning Circuits: GreenPort

5 April 2021 - 21 August 2021

Black Artists Union (BAU) in collaboration with Kanna Anigbogu illustrate the ethos of GreenPort Cannabis: Healing, Community, Growth and Unity. Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited The Black Artists Union (BAU) for its 2020-21 season. Their project, Functioning Circuits, gathers functionality in art through a series of advertisements made collaboratively with The BAU commissioned artists and businesses […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ma ma | in residence

12 April 2021 - 28 June 2021

Fast Forward: Speculative Institutions Mercer Union has invited Toronto-based collective ma ma for an extended term of curatorial research through public events and engagements. ma ma | in residence begins with Fast Forward: Speculative Institutions, a three-part program on speculation and imagination that will consider how institutional critique can be a catalyst for institutional change. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: The BAU | Functioning Circuits: BAU Buys Bitcoin

15 February 2021 - 3 April 2021

Bitcoin, coined as internet money, is a programmable network that works as a store of value through its distributed public ledger. Operating independently of a central bank, Bitcoin exists outside of government issued currencies and offers an alternative to legacy financial tools. The Black Artists Union’s (BAU) desire to seek tools for self-sustenance has led […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Welcome Back to Mercer Union

21 July 2021 - 21 August 2021

Beginning 21 July 2021, Mercer Union is open for walk-in visits to view Erdem Taşdelen’s exhibition, A Minaret for the General’s Wife. Our gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 AM – 6 PM. We are happy to accommodate private visits outside of regular gallery hours; please reach out by email at office@mercerunion.org to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Erdem Taşdelen: A Minaret for the General’s Wife

21 November 2020 - 9 October 2021

The starting point for Erdem Taşdelen’s commissioned work is a little-known architectural oddity located in the Lithuanian city of Kėdainiai, approximately 120 km from the capital Vilnius. Built in 1880 and restored in 2007, this structure is a freestanding Ottoman-style minaret that peculiarly has no mosque below or attached to it, and currently sits in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: The BAU | Functioning Circuits: Aunty Lucy’s

2 November 2020 - 8 February 2021

Mercer Union’s SPACE billboard commission has invited The Black Artists Union (BAU) for its 2020-21 season, featuring Functioning Circuits: Aunty Lucy’s as the first billboard in this yearlong series.

PAST EXHIBITION

What’s Love Got To Do With It?
A new podcast series by Beatrice Gibson

4 September 2020 - 18 September 2020

This September, artist Beatrice Gibson pairs six contemporary poets discussing the topic of love: CAConrad and LeAnne Howe, Alice Notley and Precious Okoyomon, and Ariana Reines and Sophie Robinson. This three-part podcast series makes sonic space in which these poets share, listen and respond to one another’s work, and features unique compositions by Crystabel Riley. Gibson’s poetic reflections and citations on friendship, disobedience and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Erdem Taşdelen | Vicissitudes: Act Four

18 July 2020 - 8 September 2020

Erdem Taşdelen’s Vicissitudes: Act Four (2019) is the last edition in a series of four billboard images commissioned by Mercer Union. Installation views: Vicissitudes: Act Four, Commissioned by Mercer Union, 2019. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid. — SPACE invites one artist to produce a yearlong series of images for a public-facing billboard located on the east façade of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

9 February 2021 - 31 May 2021

isthmus is a connection; a site forged between places. This collaborative research commission invites artists whose thinking and work are bolstered by peer exchange and participatory forms of knowledge assembly. Presented on the Mercer Union website and using Miro, commissioned projects bridge geographies and temporalities between artists, their collaborators and publics; gathering a multiplicity of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Deanna Bowen: On Trial The Long Doorway (2019) on Shift Key

30 May 2020 - 26 June 2020

Mercer Union presents Deanna Bowen’s video On Trial The Long Doorway (2019), streaming for a limited time on Shift Key—MOCA Toronto’s rotating platform for moving image artworks. In Fall 2017, Mercer Union presented a commissioned solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Deanna Bowen. The work takes as its starting point a lost 1956 CBC teledrama ON TRIAL The […]

PAST EXHIBITION

19 May 2020 - 31 August 2020

Intervals is a digital image commission that engages the in-between—intervening times, spaces, pauses, and breaks in activity—as taken up by artistic practice. Presented on the Mercer Union website and Instagram, this program invites artists to consider their experience of temporality through its disruption, and the sense of before, during, and after that is punctuated in the process of reflection. Artists: […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Erdem Taşdelen | Vicissitudes: Act Three

14 March 2020

LISTEN: The Perfect Crime by Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross with musical accompaniment by Bog Myrtle The Perfect Crime  I’ve heard of exactly two perfect crimes in my lifetime: the first, the strangulation of a fraudster on the run by their own pet boa constrictor; the second, the murder of a man by icicle.             The others […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Native Art Department International: Bureau of Aesthetics

14 March 2020 - 31 October 2020

Mercer Union presents the first Canadian exhibition of Native Art Department International (NADI), a long-term collaborative project created and administered by Toronto-based artists Jason Lujan and Maria Hupfield. While Hupfield and Lujan have respective artistic practices, their work together is authored under the designation of NADI, a collective that produces artworks, exhibitions, events and screenings. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Erdem Taşdelen | Vicissitudes: Act Two

7 December 2019 - 22 February 2020
Opening Reception 6 December 2019 7pm

Two Women I know it’s late afternoon when—as if realizing within a dream that I’ve been dreaming—I notice the moody murmurs of a saxophone at my window. The player is known to appear now and then in front of the Italian restaurant just down and across the street, well-loved for its homemade burrata, richly liquored […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Laure Prouvost & Jonas Staal: Obscure Union

7 December 2019 - 22 February 2020
Opening Reception 6 December 2019 7pm

Be Realistic, Demand the Obscure! We invite you to attend the inauguration of the Obscure Union by the Aube’s cure Parle Ment: a gathering of octopus, plants, signs and breasts as well as support structures of different materiality. Once founded by artists in 1979, Mercer Union will now welcome a gathering of other-than-human comme comrades on a ride that seek new modes at odd of unionization against radical call precarity In no rarity, neoliberal libre of extractivism […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Native Art Department International: Bureau of Aesthetics at KADIST San Francisco

12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020
Opening Reception 12 October 2019 4pm

Mercer Union is the inaugural guest of the Art-Space Residency and Exhibition at KADIST San Francisco. Mercer Union has conceived the residency as an incubator to consider the approach to institutions working small-scale. Together, both organizations take up a series of questions around collaboration with Native Art Department International (NADI), a collaborative project by Toronto-based artists […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Erdem Taşdelen | Vicissitudes

14 September 2019 - 2 November 2019
Opening Reception 13 September 2019 7pm

Vicissitudes: Act One Mercer Union will present a series of commissioned images by Toronto-based artist Erdem Taşdelen. The project is presented within the context of SPACE, Mercer Union’s public-facing billboard platform that invites one artist to produce a yearlong series of images. SPACE prioritizes projects that consider site-specificity and takes up questions of visibility as […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Bambitchell: Bugs and Beasts Before the Law

14 September 2019 - 2 November 2019
Opening Reception 13 September 2019 7pm

Working under the moniker Bambitchell since 2009, the research-based practice of artists Sharlene Bamboat and Alexis Kyle Mitchell re-imagines nationalist histories through the clever recycling of official state documents and institutional archives to produce moving image, installation and performance works. The centerpiece and eponymous work of this exhibition, is a newly commissioned experimental film installation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Jennifer Rose Sciarrino: from root to lip

22 June 2019 - 10 August 2019
Opening Reception 21 June 2019 7pm

Making kin is perhaps the hardest and most urgent part.[1] Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Jennifer Rose Sciarrino entitled from root to lip opening on Friday 21 June 2019. from root to lip presents Jennifer Rose Sciarrino’s formal inquiry into the notions of entanglement and techno-organic hybridity that have long been tended […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EMILIA-AMALIA | in residence

13 April 2019 - 1 June 2019
Opening Reception 25 April 2019 7pm

EMILIA-AMALIA lead a response in four parts under Mercer Union’s ongoing series SESSION for the exhibition Beatrice Gibson: Plural Dreams of Social Life. Through four public programs, EMILIA-AMALIA invite artists and practitioners to consider Gibson’s propositions for collective authorship, feminist histories, and the maternal as an essential point of collision between the self and the external world. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Joi T. Arcand

13 April 2019 - 10 August 2019
Opening Reception 12 April 2019 7pm

the flavour of change the land has changed no longer do the grandmothers pick from the wild breast of our mother we no longer move with the season with the herds since Treaty we have had to learn to find value in what the land gives us from this space where we have been placed […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Beatrice Gibson: Plural Dreams of Social Life

13 April 2019 - 1 June 2019
Opening Reception 12 April 2019 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present the first exhibition in North America by Franco-British filmmaker Beatrice Gibson. Plural Dreams of Social Life takes its title from Bernadette Mayer’s The Desires of Mothers to Please Others in Letters (1994) written during and in response to the gestation of her third pregnancy. Mayer’s book is comprised of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Nep Sidhu: Medicine for a Nightmare (they called, we responded)

Curated by cheyanne turions

9 February 2019 - 23 March 2019
Opening Reception 8 February 2019 7pm

 11 October 2019 |  On 9 February 2019, Mercer Union opened a solo exhibition of new work by Toronto-based artist Nep Sidhu, curated by cheyanne turions. We supported the exhibition and led a partnership with our colleagues at Esker Foundation, Calgary, and later a touring agreement with SFU Galleries, Vancouver. The exhibition in Toronto was among […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Joi T. Arcand

17 November 2018 - 23 March 2019

It would be good if they were able to speak, were the words spoken in Plains Cree by Augustine Arcand, Joi T. Arcand’s grandmother. The concern is emotionally present within the connotation of her words. Augustine Arcand sees the need for the young to know their language, to inhabit their words, to feel the community […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Bahar Noorizadeh: governance machines and the future of futures

17 November 2018 - 19 January 2019
Opening Reception 16 November 2018 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Bahar Noorizadeh whose engaging, multi-layered film and video works use speculation and phantasmic computer-generated imagery to collide and reframe disparate histories. Her first solo exhibition in Canada premieres her newest works Ultima Ratio Δ Mountain of the Sun (2017) and After Scarcity (2018). In Ultima Ratio […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Joi T. Arcand

14 September 2018 - 3 November 2018
Opening Reception 14 September 2018 7pm

kiya itako (be you) presents two mirrored Nēhiyawēwin (Plains Cree) phrases written in syllabics. One phrase, set atop a prairie sky, is installed outside of MOCA Toronto; the other, on a childhood photograph of Arcand, is installed outside Mercer Union. The two sentences come from words spoken by Joi T. Arcand’s mentors, offering contradictory descriptions […]

PAST EXHIBITION

The Fine Thread of Deviation

Anne Low & Evan Calder Williams

15 September 2018 - 3 November 2018
Opening Reception 14 September 2018 7pm

The silkworm has long been reared commercially for the production of silk fibre; their cocoons are naturally spun white and later dyed into a variety of colours. In 2011, researchers in Singapore developed a technique of adding a chemical dye known as Rhodamine B into the diet of silkworms, producing cocoons of brightly coloured silk […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Michèle Pearson Clarke: What We Owe To Each Other

26 June 2018 - 7 August 2018

In a November 2017 interview, Mia Mingus, cofounder of the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective, ends by saying, “people talk about [transformative justice] as though it’s ‘soft’ [but] it’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do.” What We Owe To Each Other is a public research project in which Michèle Pearson Clarke is trying […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RAGGA NYC

Michèle Pearson Clarke, Martine Gutierrez, Oreka James, Aaron Jones, Tau Lewis, Sondra Perry, Diamond Stingily, Camille Turner, Christopher Udemezue, Syrus Marcus Ware

22 June 2018 - 11 August 2018
Opening Reception 21 June 2018 7pm

RAGGA NYC is a growing collective of Queer Caribbean artists and allies. Founded by Christopher Udemezue (Neon Christina), the group was created to make space for and nurture ties amongst a group of artists who feel a deep commitment to their ancestral and diasporic histories. Working across various disciplines, ranging from visual art and poetry […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Sophia Al Maria: Black Friday

Sophia Al Maria

13 April 2018 - 2 June 2018
Opening Reception 12 April 2018 7pm

Sophia Al Maria’s exhibition Black Friday foregrounds the artist’s ongoing investigation into the accelerated development of the Gulf Nations and the sobering signs of a hyper-capitalist future to come. The large scale single-channel video installation Black Friday (2016) features hypnotic renderings of Qatari shopping malls that are often distorted and refracted, creating a dizzying disorientation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Common Cause: before and beyond the global

Fayçal Baghriche, Sandra Brewster, David Hartt, Jeneen Frei Njootli

Curated by Denise Ryner

16 February 2018 - 24 March 2018
Opening Reception 16 February 2018 7pm

Common Cause: before and beyond the global What’s left is politics but even the politics of the commons, of the resistance to enclosure, can only be a politics of ends, a rectitude aimed at the regulatory end of the common. And even when the election that was won turns out to have been lost, and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

separation penetrates

Emre Hüner, Jen Hutton, Steffani Jemison, Steve Kado, Anne Low, Josephine Pryde, Hassan Sharif

Curated by Jacob Korczynski

1 December 2017 - 3 February 2018
Opening Reception 1 December 2017 7pm

Start together – then separate. “One is inside then outside what one has been inside One feels empty because there is nothing inside oneself One tries to get inside oneself             that inside of the outside             that one was once inside       […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Deanna Bowen: On Trial The Long Doorway

15 September 2017 - 4 November 2017
Opening Reception 14 September 2017 7pm

PDF of Cast & Crew Biographies  Mercer Union is delighted to present a commissioned solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Deanna Bowen. Working across film, sculpture, performance, installation, drawing and photography, Bowen excavates traumatic episodes and invisible histories. Through genealogical and historical research, she digs into histories of slavery, oppression, migration and Civil Rights’ movements, in North America, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Katinka Bock: _o_o__o

Katinka Bock

24 June 2017 - 12 August 2017
Opening Reception 24 June 2017 5pm

Opening Reception featuring a performance by Aisha Sasha John: Saturday 24 June 2017, 6PM Mercer Union is delighted to present the first solo exhibition by Paris-based artist Katinka Bock in Canada. _o_o__o, titled in reference to Toronto, is a new body of work including Super 8 film, photographs, architectural and site interventions, and sculptural works. The gallery itself plays […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Francisco-Fernando Granados

31 March 2017 - 30 June 2017
Opening Reception 31 March 2017 7pm

The next artist to create a commissioned work for our SPACE billboard project is Francisco-Fernando Granados. Francisco-Fernando Granados’ multidisciplinary critical practice spans performance, installation, cultural theory, digital media, public art, curatorial and community-based projects. He has presented work in galleries, museums, theatres, artist-run centres and non-traditional sites including; Art Gallery of York University; Blackwood Gallery; […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Jumana Manna: A Magical Substance Flows Into Me

Jumana Manna

31 March 2017 - 27 May 2017
Opening Reception 31 March 2017 7pm

  Mercer Union is delighted to present the first solo exhibition by the Berlin-based artist Jumana Manna in Canada, in collaboration with the 30th Images Festival. The exhibition presents her feature-length film, A magical substance flows into me (2015) which weaves through musical traditions of a multitude of communities living in and around Jerusalem. It […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FEMINISTRY IS HERE

23 February 2017 - 18 March 2017
Opening Reception 23 February 2017 7pm

Buzz, Jazmine V.K. Carr, Victoria Cheong, Marcelline Mandeng, Lido Pimienta and Zoe Solomon in collaboration with Cameron Lee Text work by Laurie Kang Opening Reception and Performance by Marcelline: Thursday 23 February 2017, 7PM Offsite Event: FEMINISTRY at The Round, Friday 24 February, from 10PM Closing Reception and fashion presentation of ReBaie by Rebée: Saturday […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Abbas Akhavan’s variations on a garden at DRAF, London

20 January 2017 - 18 March 2017
Opening Reception 19 January 2017 6pm

abbas akhavan variations on a garden at the David Roberts Art Foundation, London Mercer Union is delighted to announce the opening of variations on a garden, a solo exhibition by Iranian-Canadian artist Abbas Akhavan (b. 1977, Tehran, Iran), at David Roberts Art Foundation, London. The sculptural installation Study for a Monument (2013-2015) presents a series of bronze plants laid out on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Duane Linklater From Our Hands at 80WSE Gallery, New York

8 December 2016 - 18 February 2017
Opening Reception 7 December 2016 6pm

Duane Linklater From Our Hands with Ethel Linklater and Tobias Linklater 80WSE Gallery | 80 Washington Square East | New York, NY 10003 80 Washington Square East Galleries is pleased to present From Our Hands, an exhibition of Duane Linklater (b. 1976, Omaskêko Cree from Moose Cree First Nation in Northern Ontario), in collaboration with Mercer […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Deborah Edmeades

Deborah Edmeades

25 November 2016 - 25 March 2017

The next artist to create a commissioned work for SPACE, Mercer Union’s billboard project, will be Deborah Edmeades. Edmeades’ work, which ranges loosely between the lens, object-making and drawing, has been focused through a practice of performance that has continued at times outside of an artistic or academic context and into therapeutic and esoteric experiments. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Astral Bodies

Shuvinai Ashoona, Karen Azoulay, Shary Boyle, Spring Hurlbut, Pamela Norrish

25 November 2016 - 4 February 2017
Opening Reception 25 November 2016 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a group exhibition titled Astral Bodies, opening on Friday 25 November at 7PM. This exhibition brings together works that imagine spaces beyond the physical – emotional, mythological, cosmological – tracing efforts to understand the nature of divinity and how we fit into the universe. Featured practices connect to ideas of being, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Duane Linklater: From Our Hands

Duane Linklater

9 September 2016 - 5 November 2016
Opening Reception 9 September 2016 7pm

Duane Linklater From Our Hands With Ethel Linklater and Tobias Linklater ARTIST TALK: Duane Linklater Wednesday 26th October 2016 at 6:30PM Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Duane Linklater titled From Our Hands, with Ethel Linklater (Trapper) and Tobias Linklater. Working across installation, performance, film, and photography, Duane Linklater excavates histories […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Garrett Phelan

24 June 2016 - 30 September 2016
Opening Reception 25 June 2016 5pm

The fifth artist to create a commissioned work for SPACE, Mercer Union’s billboard project, is Garrett Phelan. Garrett Phelan (born 1965, Dublin) has developed a distinctive practice through ambitious, site-specific projects that include; drawing, independent FM radio broadcasts, sculptural installations, photography, animation and text ephemera. Recent solo exhibitions and commissions include HEED, public artwork commission, Arts […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Jason Dodge with CAConrad Width of a Witch

25 June 2016 - 13 August 2016
Opening Reception 25 June 2016 5pm

Mercer Union and Kunstverein Toronto are delighted to present a solo exhibition by Jason Dodge with CAConrad titled Width of a Witch. The exhibition will open with a reading by the American poet CAConrad of MARFA POETRY MACHINE in 36 Things: Width of a Witch, the written dimension of the show published in a new chapbook to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Beloved Martina…

14 April 2016 - 4 June 2016
Opening Reception 14 April 2016 7pm

Artist Talk: Thursday 14 April 2016, 6.30PM Mercer Union is delighted to present the exhibition Beloved Martina… by artist Carlos Motta including works by Arisleyda Dilone, Pidgeon Pagonis and Del LaGrace Volcano. Carlos Motta is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work draws upon political history in an attempt to create counter narratives that recognize suppressed histories, communities, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Maggie Groat

27 January 2016 - 13 April 2016

The fifth artist to create a commissioned work for SPACE, Mercer Union’s billboard project, is Maggie Groat. Groat works across a variety of media including collage, sculpture, artists’ books, site-specific interventions, and field studies. Forming an ongoing research-based practice, her work explores studies for possible futures, alternative and marginalized ways-of-knowing, salvage practices, and relationships and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Isabel Nolan: The Weakened Eye of Day

Isabel Nolan

12 February 2016 - 2 April 2016
Opening Reception 12 February 2016 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Irish artist Isabel Nolan. The exhibition, The weakened eye of day, explores how light manifests as a metaphor in our thoughts, obsessions and pursuits, and includes text works, sculpture, ceramics, drawings, paintings and a photographic image. It presents an artistic account of the fundamental strangeness of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Liz Magic Laser: Kiss and Cry

20 November 2015 - 23 January 2016
Opening Reception 20 November 2015 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by New York based artist Liz Magic Laser. The exhibition titled Kiss and Cry will feature a new video work commissioned by the gallery and Partners in Art. There will be an artist talk at 7pm on Friday 20th November 2015, followed by the opening reception. Liz […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Olivia Plender

12 September 2015 - 15 January 2016
Opening Reception 12 September 2015 5pm

The fourth artist to create a commissioned work for SPACE, Mercer Union’s billboard project, is Olivia Plender. Olivia Plender’s research-based practice interrogates the ideological framework around the narration of history and, more recently, changing attitudes to education and value. Her 2010 installation, titled Google Office, in the Tapei Biennial, Taiwan, interrogated the commodification of knowledge […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Abbas Akhavan: variations on a garden

12 September 2015 - 31 October 2015
Opening Reception 12 September 2015 5pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Abbas Akhavan entitled variations on a garden opening on Saturday 12th September 2015. Abbas Akhavan’s practice ranges from site-specific ephemeral installations to drawing, video, sculpture and performance. The direction of his research has been deeply influenced by the specificity of the sites where he works: the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Karen Kraven: Flip Flop, Punch Front

29 May 2015 - 1 August 2015
Opening Reception 29 May 2015 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Montreal-based artist Karen Kraven entitled Flip Flop, Punch Front opening on Friday 29th May 2015. Karen Kraven’s works set up unexpected encounters between sculptures and images, uncanny resemblances and misleading juxtapositions. Flip Flop, Punch Front continues Kraven’s interest in sport with an exploration of adornment, performance and conceptions […]

PAST EXHIBITION

VSVSVS: Not together, but alongside

29 May 2015 - 1 August 2015
Opening Reception 29 May 2015 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present an exhibition by VSVSVS entitled Not together, but alongside opening on Friday 29th May 2015. Not together, but alongside explores the potentiality of relationships between the viewer and the artist, the collective and the individual, the gallery and the studio. In their large scale installation sprawling through the front […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: WALTER SCOTT

8 April 2015 - 8 August 2015

The third artist to create a commissioned work for SPACE, Mercer Union’s billboard project will be Montreal and Toronto based artist Walter Scott. Scott is an interdisciplinary artist working across writing, illustration, performance and sculpture. In 2011 while living in Montreal, he began a comic book series, Wendy, exploring the narrative of a fictional young woman […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Challenge for Change / Société Nouvelle

Jacqueline Hoang Nguyen

13 March 2015 - 25 April 2015
Opening Reception 13 March 2015 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present Challenge for Change/Société Nouvelle: Documents in Participatory Democracy, a project by Jacqueline Hoang Nguyen. Between 1967 and 1980 the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) spearheaded a social activist documentary initiative placing film skills into the hands of the people to tackle poverty, environmental, first nations and women’s issues. Government […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Seraphine, Seraphine

Krista Belle Stewart

13 March 2015 - 25 April 2015
Opening Reception 13 March 2015 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Krista Belle Stewart, opening Friday 13 March 2015. Echoing the excavation of the past in her work, Krista Belle Stewart in Seraphine: Her Own Story (2014) juxtaposes two images; a docu-drama shown on CBC in 1967 portraying the first Aboriginal public health nurse in British Columbia, with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

The Eyelash and the Monochrome

Tiziana La Melia

28 November 2014 - 31 January 2015
Opening Reception 28 November 2014 7pm

Mercer Union is delighted to present a new solo exhibition by Vancouver-based artist Tiziana La Melia, opening Friday 28 November with an artist talk at 7PM, followed by a public reception until 10PM. Tiziana La Melia weaves writing, sculpture, painting and performance in layered installations which speak to female archetypes, personal narratives, passions and teenage […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: GILES ROUND

28 November 2014 - 31 March 2015
Opening Reception 28 November 2014 7pm

Mercer Union has commissioned British artist Giles Round for the second billboard project at the corner of Bloor Street West and St. Clarens Avenue. Giles Round’s Untitled, 1943/1944 (SORRY!) layers a printed interjecting apology over a page cut from a catalogue on the work of German artist Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) over a backdrop of traditonal […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Circles and Sequences: Lis Rhodes and Elisabeth Subrin

28 November 2014 - 31 January 2015
Opening Reception 28 November 2014 7pm

Taking its starting point from the name of the women’s film and video distribution organisation co-founded by Lis Rhodes in the 1970s, this sequence of screenings engages with questions of representation, politics, language and perception. Friday 28 November – Saturday 13 December 2014 Lis Rhodes Light Reading (1979) B &W, 16mm transferred to video, 20’ […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Everything is accidental

Laurent Montaron

4 September 2014 - 25 October 2014
Opening Reception 5 September 2014 7pm

Artist talk at 6:30PM, followed by reception at 7:30PM Friday 5 September 2014 The work of Laurent Montaron (b. 1972, lives and works in Paris) is suffused with the contemporary history of the media. For Montaron, a compulsive exploration of technologies and technological experimentation is a means to explore how we think through tools and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Choreography for Screen

Aryen Hoekstra

4 September 2014 - 25 October 2014
Opening Reception 5 September 2014 7pm

Artist talk at 6:30PM, followed by reception at 7:30PM Friday 5 September 2014 The screen as both apparatus and space of political potential is central to the work of Aryen Hoekstra (b. 1982 Edmonton, lives and works in Toronto). In his film and sculptural installations, Hoekstra proposes a disjuncture in the passages of time and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MERCER Offsite: Hazel Meyer

Muscle Panic

23 August 2014 - 31 August 2014
Opening Reception 23 August 2014 3pm

Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art, is delighted to partner with Sunday Drive Art Projects to present a new solo project by Hazel Meyer in Warkworth, Ontario. From the monumental to the modest, Hazel Meyer’s projects range from large installations to small woven tags meant for an audience of one. She explores seemingly disparate […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE: Posted: 978 days ago

Liz Knox

21 June 2014 - 15 November 2014
Opening Reception 21 June 2014 7pm

SPACE is a new series of commissioned works for the billboard space on the side of Mercer Union, at the corner of St Clarens Avenue and Bloor Street West. Liz Knox uses conceptual strategies, examining systems of interpretation with an emphasis on strategies of irony, primarily working with text. Knox studied Studio Art at the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Taking [a] part

20 June 2014 - 26 July 2014
Opening Reception 20 June 2014 7pm

What does it mean when we gather? What happens? Taking [a] part uses as a starting point conversations, within collectives, between artists and artists, curators and artists, peer groups and audiences, between artworks. The exhibition unfolds throughout its five-week duration, shifting from a series of three-person exhibitions in the back gallery space to an expanding group exhibition […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Lost Illusions/Illusions perdues (part two)

Sarah Pierce/The Metropolitan Complex

4 April 2014 - 24 May 2014

with Kayla Krische and Olivia Simpson Artist’s Talk Friday 4 April 2014, 6:30 PM Opening Reception Friday 4 April, 7:30 PM onward, with performed elements throughout Since 2003, Sarah Pierce has used the umbrella term – The Metropolitan Complex – to describe her practice. Despite its institutional resonance, this title does not signify an organization. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Push and Pull

Bridget Moser, Michael Vickers and Nikki Woolsey

7 February 2014 - 22 March 2014
Opening Reception 7 February 2014 7pm

Push and Pull presents a series of new works by artists Bridget Moser, Michael Vickers and Nikki Woolsey. The exhibition title refers to a constant tension, a position between moving in one direction, and into another; a perpetual state of struggle. Bridget Moser’s performance and video work is suspended between internally voiced conundrums, stand-up comedy, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A Light In The Moon

Geoffrey Farmer

1 November 2013 - 11 January 2014
Opening Reception 1 November 2013 7pm

In her 1977 book On Photography Susan Sontag pronounced “to collect photographs is to collect the world.” This statement resonates with the work of Geoffrey Farmer who excavates multifarious cultural histories, from the life of Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention, photographs in Life magazine between 1935 and 1985, Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHEN PLATITUDES BECOME FORM

Christopher Kulendran Thomas

6 September 2013 - 12 October 2013
Opening Reception 6 September 2013 7pm

UK-based artist Christopher Kulendran Thomas takes as materials the whole system by which art is distributed, purchasing existing artworks from the margins of international art power and reconfiguring them for worldwide circulation. Through this evisceration of contemporary art’s globalising mission, cultural exchange is explicitly perverted by the underlying colonial trading patterns that it usually masks. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE THICK OF IT

Eric Cameron, Tammi Campbell, Monique Mouton, Lisa Muzzin, Sasha Pierce, Josh Thorpe, and John Baldessari

Curated by York Lethbridge

28 June 2013 - 3 August 2013
Opening Reception 28 June 2013 7pm

Front and Back Galleries The Thick Of It brings together work by seven artists that balances process and the material concerns of painting, not as a discrete medium, but as a starting point with outcomes that blur disciplinary boundaries. Works here posit painting as a meditative or mundane activity, and painting as objects created with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PAUL SIETSEMA

14 March 2013 - 20 April 2013
Opening Reception 14 March 2013 7pm

Mercer Union is pleased to present the first solo exhibition by Paul Sietsema in Canada. The exhibition will foreground the 16mm film Telegraph as well as a small selection of ink drawings. Deeply invested in the process of image-making, Paul Sietsema’s layered, self-reflective work explores how imagery and material affect society’s understanding of culture and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DISCIPLINE

Matt Rogalsky

10 January 2013 - 16 February 2013
Opening Reception 10 January 2013 7pm

For twelve self-resonating Fender Stratocaster guitars shadowing a classic rock radio station Discipline focuses on the electric guitar as the iconic musical instrument of the 20th century and an object of obsession. The model of guitar used in the installation—twelve of them in bright colors, brand name hardly needing to be mentioned—was designed in 1954 […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HOW TO SEE AND READ THE AURA

Kyla Mallett

10 January 2013 - 16 February 2013
Opening Reception 10 January 2013 7pm

These works began as a tangent to Mallett’s Self-Help work. In collecting second-hand self-help materials, she encountered a book entitled How to See and Read the Aura which fell under the category of parapsychology and new-age healing. This text became a key element to her research in self-help, which Mallett expanded on in this body […]

PAST EXHIBITION

AS THE DUSTS SETTLE

Kerri Reid

2 November 2012 - 1 December 2012
Opening Reception 2 November 2012 7pm

This solo exhibition of works by Canadian artist Kerri Reid provides the first opportunity to consider several related series of works all revolving around the artist’s fascination with dust, debris, shadows and a inclination towards restitution, salvaging and repair.

PAST EXHIBITION

MATERIAL

Iman Issa

2 November 2012 - 1 December 2012
Opening Reception 2 November 2012 7pm

Positioned within the interstices of physical reality and personal memory, the diverse practice of Egyptian artist Iman Issa continuously comes back to a critical question: “How does one visually evoke, communicate or signify one’s personal relationship to familiar places, events, and figures?” This question is born of Issa’s profound skepticism, or disbelief in, the pragmatist […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HAPAX LEGOMENA

Isabelle Cornaro, Julien Crépieux, Aurélien Froment, Mark Geffriaud, Cyrille Maillot, Benoît Maire, Benoît-Marie Moriceau, Bruno Persat, Chloé Quenum, Raphaël Zarka

Curated by Yoann Gourmel and Élodie Royer

14 September 2012 - 20 October 2012
Opening Reception 14 September 2012 7pm

Front & Back Galleries: Hapax Legomena Hapax Legomena gathers the work of ten artists of the same generation together for the first time in Canada. The exhibition draws its starting point from the process and narrative proposed by the artist and theoretician Hollis Frampton in his most celebrated film Hapax Legomena 1: (nostalgia). In the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RED SKY AT NIGHT

Absalon, Heike Baranowsky, Jack Goldstein, Cao Guimarães and Rivane Neuenschwander, John Massey, Jonathan Monk, Bruce Nauman, Berndnaut Smilde.

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

15 June 2012 - 29 July 2012
Opening Reception 1 January 1970 12am

Taking its name from a piece of weather lore, the exhibition puts into conversation artworks that contend with atmospheric effects and environments—whether the austere solo living systems in Absalon’s Propositions d’habitation, or the abstraction of the sky into the printed page in Bruce Nauman’s LAAIR, or the reverie of a bubble in an infinite float […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IN-GALLERY SOUND PERFORMANCE: Carl Didur, Jonathan Adjemian and Fiver

12 May 2012

Saturday 12 May, doors open at 8PM FREE! An evening of sound by local musicians Carl Didur, Jonathan Adjemian and Fiver performed within the tessellated landscape of Deborah Stratman’s installation Tactical Uses of a Belief in the Unseen (2). Updated details on our facebook page

PAST EXHIBITION

TACTICAL USES OF A BELIEF IN THE UNSEEN (2)

Deborah Stratman

14 April 2012 - 19 May 2012
Opening Reception 14 April 2012 8pm

An installation drawing upon the ecological effects of vibration and the history of sonic warfare. Historically, sound has been an ideal medium for the performance of psychological warfare because of how efficiently it evokes events and locations. Whether declarative, as with anthems or artillery, or deceptive, as with sonic decoys or surveillance, the audiosphere is […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PIERRE LEGUILLON FEATURES DIANE ARBUS: A PRINTED RETROSPECTIVE, 1960-1971

Pierre Leguillon

10 March 2012
Opening Reception 10 March 2012

Pierre Leguillon features Diane Arbus: a printed retrospective, 1960-1971 The exhibition brings together all the images commissioned to the New York photographer by the Anglo-Saxon press in the 1960s. Leguillon’s exhibition will present the original pages of the magazines, which correspond to the first appearance of these photographs in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ORIGINALITY AND THE AVANT GARDE (ON ART AND REPETITION)

Annie MacDonell

20 January 2012 - 10 March 2012
Opening Reception 20 January 2012 8pm

Originality and the Avant Garde (On Art and Repetition) The title of the show is not wholly unique. It borrows from the title of a 1981 Rosalind Krauss text, which questions the avant garde’s attachment tonotions of authenticity and its denial of its own foundation in processes of repetition. The terms of the production and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PIN UP – Fundraising Sale + Archival Show!

Curated by Michael Parke-Taylor

15 December 2011 - 17 December 2011
Opening Reception 8 June 2023 12am

Front Gallery: A Fundraising Sale of Limited Edition Posters by Artists Back Gallery: Archival Show of posters from the collection of Michael Parke-Taylor It’s that time of year again… Mercer Union is offering fine art at street prices! Limited edition posters by artists, each available for just $75, are hot off the press just in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE F.E.K. ARCHIVES: THIS IS MAKING ME NERVOUS…

Alex Wolfson

11 November 2011 - 10 December 2011
Opening Reception 11 November 2011 8pm

Front Gallery: The F.E.K. Archives: This is Making Me Nervous Reading by Alex Wolfson: Wednesday 16 November, 7PM Fernanda Eva Karon (1885-1938?) was an Argentinian philosopher and writer. A friend and contemporary of Heidegger and Arendt, Karon’s work concentrated primarily on phenomenological questioning. Her doctoral thesis, awarded by the Sorbonne, was on the “terror of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE

Tricia Middleton

11 November 2011 - 10 December 2011
Opening Reception 11 November 2011 8pm

Back Gallery: The Call is Coming from Inside the House Artist’s Talk: Saturday 12 November, 2 PM The Call Is Coming from Inside the House is comprised of a series of text-based sign paintings (50 in total), to be presented within a functional workspace as thinkspace or constructed installation. This installation includes an elaborate workstation, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CHANGING STAKES: CONTEMPORARY ART DIALOGUES WITH DUBAI

Amir Berbic, Haig Aivazian, Abbas Akhavan, Lamya Gargash, George Katodrytis, Nikolaj Skyum Bendix Larsen, Armin Linke, Hajra Waheed

Curated by Srimoyee Mitra

9 September 2011 - 29 October 2011
Opening Reception 9 September 2011 8pm

Changing Stakes: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Dubai presents artworks by eight noted international artists in order to consider the present day position of Dubai as a nexus of culture, capital and migration in the Gulf region and in the Middle East. Guest curator Srimoyee Mitra has assembled this exhibition based on her interest in the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE SEDUCTION OF GALILEO GALILEI

ALEKSANDRA MIR

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

18 June 2011 - 6 August 2011
Opening Reception 18 June 2011 3pm

Back Gallery: The Seduction of Galileo Galilei Artist Talk at 3PM Reception to follow 4-6PM For its banner summer exhibition, Mercer Union has commissioned international artist Aleksandra Mir for a new work titled The Seduction of Galileo Galilei, produced with support from Charles Street Video. This new video piece will be the centerpiece of Mir’s […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NATURAL REVISION

Robert Hengeveld

25 March 2011 - 30 April 2011
Opening Reception 25 March 2011 8pm

Robert Hengeveld’s ambitious installation project Natural Revision combines manufactured landscaping products—synthetic rocks, trees and grass—with wildlife decoys and proto-natural sounds to create a visual and acoustic environment suggestive of Algonquin Park but more plastic in form. The resulting installation sets a playing field in which our relationship to the natural landscape can be explored against […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CINEMA

Roman Signer

25 March 2011 - 30 April 2011
Opening Reception 25 March 2011 8pm

Back Gallery: Cinema Swiss artist Roman Signer has devoted several decades to the development, execution and documentation of experiments involving everyday objects in extraordinary circumstances. Cinema contains aspects of both his ephemeral outdoor works and his kinetic sculpture. The installation combines the screening of an hour-long selection of the artist’s Restenfilms or “film leftovers” in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OUT OF PRINT

Kristan Horton, John Latham, Roula Partheniou, Amy Robinson, Molly Springfield, David Stein, Derek Sullivan

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

7 January 2011 - 26 February 2011
Opening Reception 7 January 2011 8pm

Front and Back Galleries: OUT OF PRINT Out of Print considers artists’ interpolations of the form of the book. The works are framed in relation to the shift from print-based media towards electronic formats and the current reigning rhetoric around the end of the book. The exhibition presents examples of artists’ interest or obsession with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE WEIGHT OF THE OCEAN

Krista Buecking

29 October 2010 - 4 December 2010
Opening Reception 29 October 2010 8pm

The Weight of the Ocean Starting from an interest in history as a site of continuous formation, erosion and fossilization, Buecking’s work often explores the physical and metaphorical iterations of geology and the effects of time. For this exhibition she presents a series that traces a specific understanding the artist has of the phrase “all […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IF YOU RECEIVE THIS, YOU WILL SOON BASK IN GLORY

Kara Uzelman

29 October 2010 - 4 December 2010
Opening Reception 29 October 2010

Kara Uzelman has evolved a form of sculptural installation driven by a strong research-based inclination and fondness for narrative. Her new body of work relates to research she completed in a recent residency in Marseille, France, regarding the Chappe semaphore tower, a system of optical communication that was developed in France during the French revolution. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ALL RAG, NO BONE

Fennel Plunger Corporation

(Jean-Paul Kelly, Steve Reinke, Anne Walk)

10 September 2010 - 16 October 2010
Opening Reception 10 September 2010 8pm

Hard times, these are hard times. All rag, no bone. Fennel Plunger has everything, of course, but it would not do to rub it in people’s faces, so this exhibition is dedicated to all of you working class heroes. We say, “Keep up your good work,” and in return Fennel Plunger will continue to provide […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RG-RG ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH WILL HUFFMAN AND LISA WÖHRLE

20 July 2010
Opening Reception 20 July 2010

Please join us at Mercer Union on Tuesday July 20th 2010 at 7PM for an informal roundtable discussion with the Toronto Arts Council’s associate director William Huffman and the Ontario Arts Council’s visual and media arts officer Lisa Wöhrle! Will and Lisa will be available to answer questions about grants, grant-writing, funding, application, and much […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SOL LEWITT: A MERCER UNION LEGACY PROJECT

Sol LeWitt

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

10 July 2010 - 28 August 2010
Opening Reception 10 July 2010 2pm

Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawing #349 will be exhibited to mark the culmination Mercer Union’s 30th anniversary celebrations. The work was originally installed by Sol LeWitt in our founding exhibition space on Mercer Street in 1981. The 2010 exhibition of the work pays tribute to the importance of the artist’s legacy within Mercer Union’s innovative history […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONTENT 1.0

James Carl

10 July 2010 - 16 October 2010

Mercer Union’s side billboard space presents a project by James Carl. The work relates to the artist’s book Content 1.0 co-published by Mercer Union and Art Metropole. Content 1.0. stakes the materially indispensable against the graphically insignificant. The black and white drawings are taken from an ongoing series of disposable product containers rendered in a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

Erin Thurlow

14 May 2010 - 19 June 2010
Opening Reception 14 May 2010 8pm

Front Gallery: The Bermuda Triangle The title of this exhibition of sculpture and photographs by Erin Thurlow alerts us to the torqued sensibility guiding the production of the work. With a close eye to the tight linguistic mechanics governing the delivery of a sharp joke, Thurlow stages his own particular triangulation of the uncanny, the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LOST LOOSE ENDS

Alex Hubbard

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

14 May 2010 - 19 June 2010

Back Gallery: Lost Loose Ends New-York based artist Alex Hubbard makes work that combine performance, painting and video. The exhibition concentrates on two recent videos Lost Loose Ends and Weekend Pass, both based on the successive addition or subtraction of matter. The effect is that of a mobile picture plane populated by a roving orbit […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE WEIGHT OF THE SKY

David Beattie

19 March 2010 - 1 May 2010
Opening Reception 19 March 2010 7pm

Front Gallery: The Weight of the Sky David Beattie’s sculptural works combine the use of sound, movement and physics to create unlikely alliances. For his exhibition The Weight of the Sky the artist explores notions of elementary physics to illustrate the human desire to comprehend and question what surrounds us. Incorporating an array of found […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HEREAFTER

Brenda Goldstein

19 March 2010 - 1 May 2010
Opening Reception 19 March 2010 12am

Back Gallery: Hereafter Brenda Goldstein’s 35mm film installation Hereafter is a spare portrait – a woman in blue operating gown and white mask in a starkly lit environment carries out detailed preparations over an unseen body. On first consideration, this assemblage of elements – the fluorescent lighting, the sterile furniture and the medical garb – […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAYS OF THE ECLIPSE

Gary Beydler, Kristan Horton, Marie Jager, Euan Macdonald, Will Rogan and Elizabeth Zvonar

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan

22 January 2010 - 6 March 2010
Opening Reception 22 January 2010 6pm

Front Gallery: Days of the Eclipse “In the bleak mid-winter frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone” —Christina Rossetti, 1872 Two concurrent exhibitions at Mercer Union pay tribute to the wintry theme of the waning of light. With the winter equinox now passed, the cycle reverses: we are gaining […]

PAST EXHIBITION

50 LIGHT FIXTURES FROM HOME DEPOT

Christian Giroux and Daniel Young

22 January 2010 - 6 March 2010
Opening Reception 22 January 2010 8pm

Back Gallery: 50 LIGHT FIXTURES FROM HOME DEPOT Premiere of the new 35mm film by Christian Giroux and Daniel Young “In the bleak mid-winter frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone” —Christina Rossetti, 1872 Two concurrent exhibitions at Mercer Union pay tribute to the wintry theme of the waning […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THINGS THAT MEAN THINGS AND THINGS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY MEAN THINGS

Ryan Gander

6 November 2009 - 12 December 2009
Opening Reception 6 November 2009 7pm

Back Gallery: Things That Mean Things And Things That Look Like They Mean Things In this recent video by Ryan Gander, the artist imbeds a work within a work. Key elements in the hall of mirrors include an interview with writer and filmmaker Dan Fox, art students sketching Francis Bacon paintings installed at the Tate […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM

Curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan with Steven Leiber and Ted Purves

6 November 2009 - 12 December 2009
Opening Reception 6 November 2009 8pm

Front Gallery: We Interrupt This Program The artworks grouped in this survey exhibition originally circulated by alternative distribution, appearing through the platform of a magazine ad or TV spot rather than through the formal avenues of gallery or museum display. Many evidence a conceptual tendency, preferring to disseminate ideas over objects and each performs a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NATURE MORTE

Taku Dazai

11 September 2009 - 24 October 2009
Opening Reception 11 September 2009 7pm

Back Gallery: Nature Morte In this solo exhibition of installation-based works, Taku Dazai employs a taxidermied cast of characters—a rattlesnake, an owl, a mountain goat and a mouse—in order to explore boyhood fascination with animals in battle. Download the exhibition brochure

PAST EXHIBITION

THE CHINATOWN FORAY

Diane Borsato

11 September 2009 - 24 October 2009
Opening Reception 11 September 2009 8pm

Front Gallery THE CHINATOWN FORAY In this exhibition, Diane Borsato will present a new series of public actions and discreet interventions. In works such as The Chinatown Foray (2008), Borsato invited the Mycological Society of Toronto to hold one of their weekly mushroom identification excursions in Markham supermarkets and medicinal shops; and in Italian Lessons […]

PAST EXHIBITION

You Don’t Love Me Yet / Toronto 2009

15 August 2009

Saturday 15 August, 3PM YOU DON’T LOVE ME YET / Toronto, 2009 Toronto-based musicians and artists will perform an afternoon of Johanna Billing’s ongoing project, You Don’t Love Me Yet. Fascinated by the ritualized potential inherent in performing cover versions of pop songs, Billing conceived a concert format based on one song only, to be […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A FUN TIME IS A GREAT TIME

Sarah Gregg Millman

3 July 2009 - 15 August 2009
Opening Reception 3 July 2009 7pm

Front Gallery: A Fun Time Is A Great Time In her first solo exhibition in Toronto, Millman expands on her ongoing, cinema-inspired lexicon of single working girls. Millman’s work portrays a fantasy world inhabited by characters going about daily life⎯where light and airy narratives mask the presence of oppression and anxiety lurking beneath the surface. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THIS IS HOW WE WALK ON THE MOON

Johanna Billing

3 July 2009 - 15 August 2009
Opening Reception 3 July 2009 8pm

Back Gallery: This Is How We Walk On The Moon In the video This Is How We Walk on the Moon (2007), a group of local musicians learns to sail in the Firth of Forth, off the coast of Edinburgh, Scotland. Set to the 1980s song of the same title by the late experimental musician […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GOODBYE TO ROMANCE

Katie Bethune-Leamen, Dave Dyment, Lars Laumann, Jimmy Limit, Tony Romano, Alvin Lucifer, Brian Joseph Davis & Steven Kado

Curated by Elaine Gaito

1 May 2009 - 13 June 2009
Opening Reception 1 May 2009 8pm

Goodbye To Romance Popular music is rife with fan-generated legends and myths pertaining to premature exits and mortal excess. Invoking the logic of paranoia, the group exhibition Goodbye to Romance brings together works that harness obsessive musical fandom and highlight the romantic futility of conspiracy theory. Going beyond simple narrative explication, the artists assembled employ […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAGNETIC RESONANCE ON ABISSOLOGIC EXPERIMENTS

João Maria Gusmão And Pedro Paiva

6 March 2009 - 18 April 2009
Opening Reception 6 March 2009 7pm

Front Gallery: Magnetic Resonance On Abissologic Experiments Described as “poetic philosophical fiction,” João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva’s 16mm film installations explore pseudoscience through an odd alchemical compound: equal parts early silent cinema, archaeological dig, and late-60s land art. The films are often performative and though suggestive of narrative, ultimately revel in illogical and surprising […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RED SHIFT

Sylvia Matas

6 March 2009 - 18 April 2009
Opening Reception 6 March 2009 8pm

Back Gallery: Red Shift A series of sculptural works (a rope made of dental floss, for example) alongside a grouping of small sun prints, all exploring themes of perception, time and cycles. Sylvia Matas is a visual artist from Winnipeg, Canada. She received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 2003 and her MFA […]

PAST EXHIBITION

AMUSICOLOGY

Craig Leonard

9 January 2009 - 14 February 2009
Opening Reception 9 January 2009 7pm

Back Gallery: Amusicology A series of mini-installations, charting art/rock coincidences and convergences through mixed dosages of sculptural inquiry, archival impulse and audio experiment. Subjects of exploration include King Tubby, DNA, Harry Partch, Jimmy Page, the Screamers and more.  

PAST EXHIBITION

STREET POETS & VISIONARIES: SELECTIONS FROM THE UBUWEB COLLECTION

Kenneth Goldsmith

9 January 2009 - 21 February 2009
Opening Reception 9 January 2009 8pm

Front Gallery: Street Poets & Visionaries: Selections From The Ubuweb Collection Talk by UbuWeb founder Kenneth Goldsmith at 7PM preceding the opening reception at 8PM. Street Poets & Visionaries: Selections from the UbuWeb Collection, an exhibition of posters and ephemeral writings from the streets of New York City. In the tradition of Jim Shaw’s “Thrift […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DISCO SEC

Christof Migone

24 October 2008 - 29 November 2008
Opening Reception 24 October 2008 7pm

Back Gallery: Disco Sec Disco Sec mixes discophilia with a synoptic obsession. A series of works using the principle of citation on a collection of recordings which is representative of the artist’s listening over the years (so it functions as a form of portraiture). A reduced record collection. An abbreviated discotheque.

PAST EXHIBITION

MAPS IN DOUBT

Gwen MacGregor and Sandra Rechico

Curated by Dan Adler

24 October 2008 - 29 November 2008
Opening Reception 24 October 2008 8pm

Front Gallery: Maps In Doubt Gwen MacGregor and Sandra Rechico’s paths have converged at the crossroads of the new Mercer Union to present the results of their shared investigation into the recording and mapping of their movements in cities. The show Maps in Doubt is a collaborative installation that critiques widely-held cultural assumptions about the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Final Test Reading Series:BRENDA IIJIMA and ERÍN MOURE at the Toronto Free Gallery

24 September 2008

Please join us for the final edition the final installment of the Test Reading Series, v1: BRENDA IIJIMA and ERÍN MOURE 24 September 2008 at 8PM a Test-Mercer Union-Toronto Free Gallery Co-Production at the Toronto Free Gallery 1277 Bloor Street West Free (Donations for the readers gratefully accepted) More information soon at www.testreading.org The Test […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NEW WAVE ON BLOOR

1 August 2008 - 7 October 2008
Opening Reception 8 October 2008

New Wave, The Mercer Reopening Inaugural Gala Wednesday 8 October 2008 VIP Preview Reception 6PM–8PM Dance Party 8PM til late

PAST EXHIBITION

Artists’ Talk & Closing Celebration: Anne Fauteux, Ana Teixeira, Emelie Chhangur and Mona Filip

12 July 2008

Saturday 12 July, 6PM Artists’ Talk & Closing Celebration with Anne Fauteux, Ana Teixeira, Emelie Chhangur and Mona Filip In discussion with curators Emelie Chhangur and Mona Filip, Brazilian artist Ana Teixeira and Canadian artist Anne Fauteux will share insights into their two-month residency and collaborative exhibition Thank you, come again! / Obrigado, volte sempre! […]

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EVENT CANCELLED / Artist Talk: René Francisco

19 June 2008

Please note that the Artist’s Talk with René Francisco Rodríguez scheduled for Thursday 19 June, 7:30PM has been cancelled, and will hopefully be rescheduled for the fall

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THANK YOU, COME AGAIN! / OBRIGADO, VOLTE SEMPRE! / MERCI, REVENEZ BIENTÔT!

Ana Teixeira & Anne Fauteux

Curated by Emelie Chhangur, Mona Filip

6 June 2008 - 12 July 2008
Opening Reception 5 June 2008 8pm

Thank you, come again! / Obrigado, volte sempre! / Merci, revenez bientôt! Thank you, come again! / Obrigado, volte sempre! / Merci, revenez bientôt! brings together Brazilian artist Ana Teixeira and Canadian artist Anne Fauteux in a two-month residency and exhibition treading on the borders between art making and everyday life. Setting up a space […]

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TECHNO DELUGE

Liz Miller

19 April 2008 - 24 May 2008
Opening Reception 19 April 2008 8pm

Front Gallery: Techno Deluge Artist Talk: Liz Miller in conversation with Bill Clarke: 7PM “Liz Miller is interested in systems – political, natural, technological and social. Her work reflects how systems are visually represented, how they interact with each other and what happens when they fail. For example, consider the tornado that transports Dorothy to […]

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CABIN FEVER

Justin Stephens

18 April 2008 - 24 May 2008
Opening Reception 18 April 2008 8pm

Back Gallery: Cabin Fever  “Justin Stephens’ work creates an idealized parallel universe where Modern Art can be put to the service of a hick’s down-to-earth wisdom or a hippy’s bitter sensitivity and spiritual yearning, and in both cases, within a resourceful economy of recycled materials. Maybe minimalist. Potentially conceptual. But if this is Modernism, it […]

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THREE BEDROOM FLAT

Adrienne Spier

28 February 2008 - 5 April 2008
Opening Reception 28 February 2008 8pm

Three Bedroom Flat Artist Talk: Meg Cranston Adrienne Spier was born in Montreal and has lived and worked in both Montreal and Toronto. She has an MFA from Concordia University, completed the Independent Studio Program at the Toronto School of Art, and has a BA in Fine Art from University of Guelph. Her work has […]

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EVERY DOG IN THE POUND

Meg Cranston

28 February 2008 - 5 April 2008
Opening Reception 28 February 2008 8pm

Front Gallery: Every Dog in the Pound Meg Cranston is an artist, curator, writer and professor. Born in New York in 1960, she now resides in Los Angeles. Her work has been shown internationally since 1988.She received an M.F.A from California Institute of the Arts in 1986 and a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology in 1982. She […]

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Apocalypse – Now what? Art After Political Trauma

31 January 2008

Mercer Union and the Koffler Gallery of the Koffler Centre of the Arts present Apocalypse – Now what? Art After Political Trauma Panel discussion organized in conjunction with the exhibitions Living Units and New World Thursday, January 31, 2008, 6:30 pm Mercer Union, 37 Lisgar Street Apocalypse – Now what?will discuss contemporary art and architecture […]

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ENVIRONS

Beth Howe

11 January 2008 - 16 February 2008
Opening Reception 11 January 2008 8pm

Back Gallery: Environs Panel Discussion: January 31, 2008, 6:30 pm In Environs Beth Howe presents large-scale landscape drawings depicting the areas a kilometer north, east, south, and west of the gallery. These site-specific drawings are stitched with thread into paper, and presented as scrolls, referencing the artist’s parallel practice as a producer of book works. […]

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LIVING UNITS

Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor

11 January 2008 - 16 February 2008
Opening Reception 11 January 2008 8pm

Front Gallery: Living Units  Panel Discussion: January 31, 2008, 6:30 pm Living Units comprises a multi-media installation and photographic works by Romanian artists Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor, presented for the first time in Canada. Vatamanu and Tudor’s practice explores the visual, emotional and political aspects of architecture, its relationship to socio-political memory and subjective […]

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Love / More Love

13 December 2007 - 20 December 2007
Opening Reception 1 January 1970 12am

Love / More Love A Mercer Union Members Exhibition and Sale 13 December to 20 December 2007 Closing Party and Sale 20 December 2007 Doors open promptly at 8PM All works $100.00 Dean Baldwin / Christine Baigent / Katie Bethune-Leamen / Diane Borsato / Krista Buecking / Corinne Carlson / Trudie Cheng / Taku Dazai […]

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OVERGROWN

Janet Morton

24 October 2007 - 8 December 2007
Opening Reception 24 October 2007 8pm

Back Gallery: Overgrown Artist talk by Michel de Broin: 7:00pm A few weeks after transforming the building at the top of our street for Nuit Blanche, Janet Morton returns to create a dense ivory mass of plush tangled vines a foot deep, clinging to the back gallery wall. With monochromatic materials varying in tone and […]

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SHARED PROPULSION CAR

Michel de Broin

24 October 2007 - 8 December 2007
Opening Reception 24 October 2007 8pm

Front Gallery: Shared Propulsion Car Artist talk by Michel de Broin: 7:00pm The just-announced winner of the 2007 Sobey Art Award Michel de Broin presents “Shared Propulsion Car”, an ’86 Buick Regal stripped of its engine, suspension, transmission and electrical system and outfitted with 4 independent pedal and gear mechanisms. The vehicle retains the illusion […]

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An informal talk with Joseph del Pesco

20 September 2007 - 20 September 2009

Mercer Union Presents: An informal talk by the peripatetic curator Joseph del Pesco Friday, 20 July 2007, 7PM Joseph del Pesco works as a curator for Artists Space (New York) where his first exhibition “On Being An Exhibition” will open in the Fall. He has also organized independent curatorial projects for the Galerie Analix in […]

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INSTANT COFFEE: NOOKS

Instant Coffee

14 September 2007 - 20 October 2007
Opening Reception 14 September 2007 8pm

Instant Coffee: Nooks Opening Friday September 14th, 2007, 8 pm Please join us on Friday September 14th at 8pm for the launch of our fall season with Instant Coffee: Nooks. The Toronto/Vancouver artist collective Instant Coffee take over the front and back galleries with a sculptural social environment based on a kitchen nook from one […]

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Closing Party in the Minibar

27 July 2007

One Night Only: Arturo P. Handler presents: An Evening Of Pure Entertainment Starring Funnyman Andy Boorman Maybe Baby Mary Milne The Shadowy World Of San Salvador’s Ulysses Castellanos & The Sweet Island Sounds Of Bosco The Steel Drum Wonder A Celebration On The Closing Of The Exhibition Seducing Down The Door With Dean Baldwin, Anitra […]

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SEDUCING DOWN THE DOOR

Anitra Hamilton, Corwyn Lund, Dean Baldwin

Curated by

21 June 2007 - 28 July 2007
Opening Reception 21 June 2007 7pm

Please join us on Thursday June 21st at 8pm for the opening reception of Seducing Down The Door, an exhibition featuring new works by Toronto artists Dean Baldwin, Anitra Hamilton and Corwyn Lund. Here their distinct practices subtlety intersect and overlap, particularly through the use of colour, form, charm and play, which serve as a […]

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ART NOW

Thérèse Mastroiacovo

21 April 2007 - 26 May 2007
Opening Reception 21 April 2007 8pm

Front Gallery: Art Now Mercer Union is pleased to present a new two-person exhibition featuring work by Thérèse Mastroiacovo (Montreal) and Corinne Carlson (Toronto). Mastroiacovo presents a series of pencil drawings of art books with the word “now” in the title, in an attempt to addresses the lifespan of the ‘present.’ A sculpture made from […]

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RECORD JACKET

Corinne Carlson

20 April 2007 - 26 May 2007
Opening Reception 21 April 2007 8pm

Back Gallery: Record Jacket Mercer Union is pleased to present a new two-person exhibition featuring work by Thérèse Mastroiacovo (Montreal) and Corinne Carlson (Toronto). At the core of the exhibition are texts appropriated from album and book covers. Carlson critiques gender inequalities and the romantic notion of the (male) genius artist by creating a fictional […]

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MAN AT A COMPUTER

Rob Waters

2 March 2007 - 7 April 2007
Opening Reception 1 March 2007 7pm

NOTE: A free shuttle bus will depart from Mercer Union at 6:45 pm to Oakville Galleries for the Monika Napier exhibition mad, mad, mad world. The bus will leave Gairloch Gardens at approximately 9:45 pm and drive passengers back to Mercer Union. Mercer Union presents two exhibitions with new work by Monika Napier (Montreal) and […]

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POWER CORD SERIES: NEXUS

Monika Napier

2 March 2007 - 7 April 2007
Opening Reception 2 March 2007 8pm

NOTE: A free shuttle bus will depart from Mercer Union at 6:45 pm to Oakville Galleries for the Monika Napier exhibition mad, mad, mad world. The bus will leave Gairloch Gardens at approximately 9:45 pm and drive passengers back to Mercer Union. Mercer Union presents two exhibitions with new work by Monika Napier (Montreal) and […]

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EFFONDREMENTS

Diane Morin

12 January 2007 - 17 February 2007
Opening Reception 12 January 2007 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions, and the return of the Peephole project space. Artist talks by Kate Terry and Diane Morin: 7:30 Back Gallery: Effondrements By placing explosive powder inside hollow and translucent household objects, Diane Morin orchestrates a series of tiny explosions. Not powerful enough to destroy […]

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WORLD’S LONGEST SOCK DOLL

Seth Scriver

12 January 2007 - 17 February 2007
Opening Reception 12 January 2007 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions, and the return of the Peephole project space. Artist talks by Kate Terry and Diane Morin: 7:30 Peephole: World’s Longest Sock Doll In Mercer Union’s newly restored peep hole exhibition space, Seth Scriver will be “continually showing a loop of the world’s longest […]

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INTERFERENCE

Kate Terry

12 January 2007 - 17 February 2007
Opening Reception 12 January 2007 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions, and the return of the Peephole project space. Front Gallery: Interference Artist talks by Kate Terry and Diane Morin: 7:30 Using utilitarian craft materials, Kate Terry’s practice mimics the strategies of hobbyists and the manners of a do-it-yourself sensibility. Working with the flimsiest […]

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Happy Holidays

21 December 2006 - 10 January 2007

Please note that Mercer Union is closed to the public until January 12th, when we are opening two new exhibitions, by Kate Terry (London, UK) and Diane Morin (Montreal, Canada). Our office is closed as of the 23rd of December and reopens January 2nd.

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2008: MERCER UNION ANNUAL MEMBERS EXHIBITION AND SALE

5 December 2006 - 14 December 2006

“2008” is Mercer Union’s annual member show – a ten-day exhibition of drawings, paintings, photographs, sculpture, multiples, and other media, by members of Mercer Union. Artists include Arnaug Maggs, Gwen MacGregor, Germaine Koh, Lee Ranaldo, Robyn Collier, Micah Lexier, Tania Kitchell, Dean Baldwin, Instant Coffee, Derek Sullivan, Fastwurms, Monica Tap, John Massey, Lewis Nicolson, Kristan […]

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Michael Snow in Concert/Jonathan Monk in Person

7 November 2006

Jonathan Monk in Conversation and Michael Snow in Concert November 7, 6:30 pm, Drake Underground, $7 or $5 in adv A Co-production with Jessica Bradley Art + Projects, the Drake Hotel and Mercer Union As auxillary programming to Jessica Bradley Art + Projects, the Drake Hotel and Mercer Union are proud to present an evening […]

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JEREMY DELLER: A RETROSPECTIVE AT TWO SITES

Jeremy Deller

13 October 2006 - 25 November 2006
Opening Reception 13 October 2006 8pm

Jeremy Deller is an anthropologist of the ordinary, a field recorder of the overlooked, and a folklorist of the popular. This first retrospective of the Turner Prize winning British artist in North America that draws together all the dimensions of Deller’s varied work. Split between two sites, the exhibition runs from October 4 — December […]

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Nuit Blanche: Mercer Union open all night and a new project by Tim Hecker

30 September 2006 - 1 October 2006

As part of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Mercer Union will remain open from 7pm Saturday September 30th until 7am October 1st. Join us for a drink and check out the exhibitions by Michelle Allard and Maider Fortune. Also, internationally renowned Sound Artist Tim Hecker will create an immersive sound environment using the tree across the street […]

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EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT

Maïder Fortuné

31 August 2006 - 7 October 2006
Opening Reception 31 August 2006 8pm

Back Gallery: Everything is Going to be All Right “Everything is Going to be All Right” reveals Maïder Fortuné’s (Paris, France) double passion, her double practice of media arts and performance. Producing such a piece requires both the ability to feel and understand the sensation of a body moving or still, as well as the […]

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FLOURISH

Michelle Allard

31 August 2006 - 7 October 2006
Opening Reception 18 December 2012 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions on Thursday August 31st, 2006, at 8pm. Front Gallery: Flourish “With reams of fluorescent office paper, glue sticks and expended fluorescent light tubes, Allard creates her work by shaping the sheets of paper around the tubes and then installing the resulting forms upright […]

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VOICE OF THINGS

Nobuyuki Takahashi

2 June 2006 - 8 July 2006
Opening Reception 2 June 2006 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce two new solo exhibitions opening this Friday, June 2nd. Artist’s Talk: Clive Murphy, Friday, June 2, at 7:30pm Back Gallery: Voice of Things Nobuyuki Takahashi, from Nagoya, Japan, presents Voice of Things– an installation in Mercer Union’s back gallery of over 200 household products, including bottled drinks, cleaning liquid, […]

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PNEUTOPIA

Clive Murphy

2 June 2006 - 8 July 2006
Opening Reception 2 June 2006 8pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce two new solo exhibitions opening this Friday, June 2nd. Front Gallery: Pneutopia Artist’s Talk: Clive Murphy, Friday, June 2, at 7:30pm Artist-in-residence Clive Murphy presents Pneutopia, a fully functioning, hand-made, inflatable Bouncy Castle (or Moonwalk). “The possibility remains that Murphy’s Pneutopia, like many of its inflatable architecture ancestors, may, […]

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Test Reading Series:
Brian Joseph Davis and Margaret Christakos

Curated by Mark Truscott

26 April 2006

Curated by Mark Truscott Wednesday, April 26, 7:30PM, at Mercer Union Admission: PWYC ($5 recommended, all of which benefits the readers) Each monthly installment of Test features two poets, each of whom reads for 30 to 40 minutes. The readings are followed by a brief question and answer period. Margaret Christakos lives in Toronto. Her […]

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YESTERDUH

Brian Joseph Davis

13 April 2006 - 20 May 2006
Opening Reception 13 April 2006 8pm

Back Gallery: Yesterduh (A Co-Presentation with Images Festival) Over the course of the exhibition Brian Joseph Davis is inviting the public to come into the back gallery space to record in a vocal booth their styling of the song “Yesterday” from memory, in one take, and with no practice. You will have a headset with […]

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THE EVENING CANOPY AND THE SUNSET HOUR

Karen Azoulay

13 April 2006 - 20 May 2006
Opening Reception 13 April 2006 8pm

Front Gallery: The Evening Canopy and the Sunset Hour Karen Azoulay constructs a grotto in the gallery, complete with shells, cascades of water, and, at least occasionally, a live tutelary spirit. These traditional trappings of the grotto, however, lie on the outside walls of her fabricated cave. Stepping in through the portal, one enters a […]

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Platform: Test Reading SeriesJay MillAr and Rachel Zolf

29 March 2006

Test Reading Series: Jay MillAr and Rachel Zolf Curated by Mark Truscott Wednesday, March 29th, 7:30PM, at Mercer Union Admission: PWYC ($5 recommended, all of which benefits the readers) Each monthly installment of Test features two poets, each of whom reads for 30-40 minutes. The readings are followed by a brief question and answer period. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INFINITY ETC

Kelly Mark, Germaine Koh, Daniel Olson, Micah Lexier, Martin Creed, Lee Ranaldo, Jonathan Monk and Claude Closky.

Curated by Dave Dyment

24 February 2006 - 1 April 2006
Opening Reception 24 February 2006 6pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce the opening of a new group exhibition, “Infinity, Etc.”. Performance: Awesome, Friday, February 24, 10PM “Infinity, Etc.” brings together the work of seven artists whose work deals with time, feedback loops, closed circuits, numbers, randomness and the infinite. Four of Toronto’s most consistently engaging conceptualists – Kelly Mark, Germaine […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Mercer Loving: Halcyon Days: Mercer Members’ Exhibition

8 February 2006 - 11 February 2006
Opening Reception 10 June 2023 12am

Mercer Members’ Exhibition February 8-11th, 2006 Closing Reception and Sale: Saturday, February 11, 2006, 8pm Hosted by Misha Glouberman Mercer Loving: Halcyon Days What if we are, at this very moment, in the midst of those blissful halcyon days? What if this is in fact the peaceful, happy golden era that we will look back […]

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PLAINSONG

Conor Kelly

6 January 2006 - 4 February 2006
Opening Reception 6 January 2006 6pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce two new exhibitions – Leah Garnett’s Greater Than Smaller Than and Conor Kelly’s Plainsong. Artist Talk: Conor Kelly: Friday, January 6, 2006 7:30pm Back Gallery: Plainsong Conor Kelly’s Plainsong is a five channel video installation that is “an irreverent, infectious hymn to the mundane and the temporal” (Art Forum, […]

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GREATER THAN, SMALLER THAN

Leah Garnett

6 January 2006 - 4 February 2006
Opening Reception 6 January 2006 6pm

Mercer Union is pleased to announce two new exhibitions – Leah Garnett’s Greater Than Smaller Than and Conor Kelly’s Plainsong. Artist Talk: Conor Kelly: Friday, January 6, 2006 7:30pm Front Gallery: Greater than Smaller than Leah Garnett‘s practice explores interests in architecture, landscape, and cosmology, consistently questioning scale, physical phenomena, illusion, and logic. Her work […]

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NYE

31 December 2005 - 1 January 2006

PAST EXHIBITION

MIRROR BALL

Luis Jacob

4 November 2005 - 10 December 2005
Opening Reception 4 November 2005 8pm

Peephole: Mirror Ball Please join us Friday November 4th for the opening of three new exhibitions and an artist talk at Mercer Union: Luis Jacob (just voted Best Public Art by NOW magazine) Exhibition dates: November 4, 2005 – December 10, 2005 Opening reception: November 4, 2005, 8pm Toronto artist Luis Jacob, featured in Mercer […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SOLILOQUY (CLINT)

Candice Breitz

4 November 2005 - 10 December 2005
Opening Reception 4 November 2005 8pm

Back Gallery: Soliloquy The work of Kristan Horton (Toronto) and Candice Breitz (Johannesburg) examines the language of pop culture and the mechanisms of the moving image. Breitz takes popular video (a Sharon Stone film, the TV show Dallas, a Madonna music video) and empties it of all narrative, distilling it into something entirely new. Horton […]

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ALL AT ONCE

Kirstan Horton

4 November 2005 - 10 December 2005
Opening Reception 4 November 2005 6pm

Front Gallery All at Once Kristan Horton (just voted Best Artist To Watch by NOW magazine) The work of Kristan Horton (Toronto) and Candice Breitz (Johannesburg) examines the language of pop culture and the mechanisms of the moving image. Breitz takes popular video (a Sharon Stone film, the TV show Dallas, a Madonna music video) […]

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MONKEY WORK COCONUT

Xu Zhen and Ron Terada

Curated by Natalie De Vito

16 September 2005 - 22 October 2005
Opening Reception 9 June 2023 12am

Artist Talk: Ron Terada, Friday, 16 September, 7:30PM Canadian Art Gallery Hop: Saturday, 17 September, 3PM Reid Shier (The Power Plant) in discussion with curator Natalie De Vito. Monkey Work Coconut Using photography, video, installation and signage, Xu Zhen (Shanghai) and Ron Terada (Vancouver) draw our attention to the mostly unnoticed and dismissed trivial details […]

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ROOM OF MILES AND FEET

Chris Gillespie

23 June 2005 - 30 July 2005
Opening Reception 23 June 2005 6pm

Back Gallery: Room of Miles and Feet “[I]t’s impossible to believe that Gillespie is a dispassionate, or mad, scientist. He has created a pocket-sized world of ants traversing highways, and abandoned winter vehicles, but we sense the presence of the artist’s hand in both scenarios, crafting and marking and quietly slipping away. His painstaking documentation […]

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TORONTOTROLL: NIGHT MOBILITY LABORATORY/ LABORATOIRE DES MOBILITÉS NOCTURNES

AWP (Atelier Wundershon Peplum)

Curated by Catherine Sicot

23 June 2005 - 30 July 2005
Opening Reception 8 June 2023 12am

TORONTOTROLL, A residency project at Mercer Union in Toronto With the support of AFAA, the French Consulate of France in Toronto, Evergreen, the Drake Hotel, and Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement. www.torontotroll.ca AWP is a Paris-based agency of “territorial reconfiguration” whose practice integrates visual arts, design, music, architecture, and landscape design. The collective have […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ITS A BIG WHITE WORLD

Tania Kitchell

28 April 2005 - 4 June 2005
Opening Reception 28 April 2005 8pm

Back Gallery: It’s a Big White World Click here for gallery webcam (maximum 20 simultaneous viewers – if image does not load please wait and try again later) “Snow doesn’t even get born until it’s underneath the life-line of zero. Tania Kitchell lives there. She goes through the O and waits underneath until the snow […]

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UNTITLED

Ann Course

28 April 2005 - 4 June 2005
Opening Reception 28 April 2005 8pm

Front Gallery: Untitled Ann Course‘s playful silk-screen prints and silicon sculptures are imbued with a sense of personal recollection and recurring motifs. Since 1993 Course has collaborated with Paul Clark to produce a series of psychologically piercing short animations. Constructed from drawings on paper that are passed under a rostrum camera with a specially mounted […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Mercer Union presents: Tania Kitchell Live Webcam

28 April 2005 - 4 June 2005

Mercer Union presents: Tania Kitchell, It’s A Big White World Live gallery webcam https://www.mercerunion.org/tania Maximum 20 simultaneous viewers. (If image does not load please wait and try again later) Ann Course and Tania Kitchell 28 April – 4 June, 2005 Opening Reception: Thursday, 28 April, 8PM Opening Night Artist Talk by Ann Course, 7PM WHERE: […]

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COCKED

Matthew Suib

9 March 2005 - 16 April 2005
Opening Reception 9 March 2005 8pm

Back Gallery: Cocked Produced in 2003, during the lead-up to the war with Iraq, Matthew Suib’s Cocked consists of meticulously edited scenes from a dozen spaghetti westerns to create a seamless and seemingly endless ‘standoff’ between a large number of cowboys. A succession of squints, glares, deadly stares and itchy trigger fingers form a nuanced, […]

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FOG

Kevin Schmidt

9 March 2005 - 16 April 2005
Opening Reception 9 March 2005 8pm

Front Gallery: Fog Fog, 2004, is an installation of two medium format projections of dry ice fog photographed at night in the forest. With the aid of dramatic lighting and a fog machine, Schmidt highlights the artificiality of film and the tendency to augment nature to look hyper-real. Like the effects in science fiction and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BESOIN DE CROIRE/NEED TO BELIEVE

BGL

13 January 2005 - 19 February 2005
Opening Reception 13 January 2005 8pm

Front Gallery Besoin de Croire/Need to Believe “Junior lives in the city. He is 11 years old and goes to the neighbourhood school. Gilles, his father, is a computer programmer/analyst and his mother Gisèle is a telephone operator for a big company. Just like every Sunday afternoon, they go out as a family to an […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FUR QUEEN II

Marianne Corless

13 January 2005 - 19 February 2005
Opening Reception 13 January 2005 8pm

Back Gallery: Fur Queen II “Fur Queen II, Marianne Corless‘s deftly worked portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, presents the standard, familiar iconic image of the distinguished royal in bust-length format. Here the resemblance to traditional likenesses of the queen ends, as Corless’s offering manipulates the face of Elizabeth through the spread and nap of various […]

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A Dirtier New Year’s Eve Party

31 December 2004

Many thanks to all for making A Dirtier New Year’s Eve Party a HUGE success and the party to be at in Toronto this New Year’s Eve! Next-day reviews posted on www.tribemagazine.com: “Had a great time, just got home. The Dukes were solid (and awesome), SuperPeakNick was great, and Ayres / Cosmo Baker were great […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Goll & Nielsen, Niagara Falls Artist Host Program

2 December 2004 - 18 December 2004
Opening Reception 8 June 2023 12am

Goll & Nielsen Niagara Falls Artist Host Program Opening night Artist Talk by Goll & Nielsen, 7 PM Niagara Falls Artist Host Program is a community interactive art project developed specifically for Mercer Union by the Copenhagen and Los Angeles-based artist-curator collective, Goll & Nielsen. In light of the challenges posed by migration in the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ISLAND, BAR, AND ABATTOIR

Allison Hrabluik

21 October 2004 - 27 November 2004
Opening Reception 21 October 2004 8pm

Front Gallery: Island, Bar, and Abattoir Hrabluik photographs her locations on site then takes her images back to the studio where she uses them to make miniature sets. Filming her characters’ silent pantomimed action within the confines of her studio, she selects every few frames from the shot footage, cuts out the individual characters by […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CURIOUS ABOUT EXISTENCE

Cooper Battersby and Emily Vey Duke

21 October 2004 - 27 November 2004
Opening Reception 21 October 2004 8pm

Back Gallery: Curious About Existence Episodic in nature, Curious About Existence reacts ultimately against an uninspired but prevailing acceptance of moral terms. It begins with a song of worship, an ode to the looming nastiness of our organic existence. A celebration of disorder and entropy, the opening song seems borne of a curiosity about the […]

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International Meeting Between Autonomous Cultural Centers

25 September 2004 - 27 September 2004

Mercer Union in Shanghai, China, presents: Daniel Barrow, A Miracle Kevin Schmidt, Long Beach Led Zep Allison Hrabluik, Lofoten Islands, Norway, and Niagara Street, Toronto Kevin Schmidt, Long Beach Led Zep @ the International Video Screening in Fuxing Park International Meeting Between Autonomous Cultural Centers Stemming from Citizen and Artistic Initiatives September 25th – 27th […]

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DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN

Daniel Barrow

9 September 2004 - 16 October 2004
Opening Reception 9 September 2004 8pm

Front Gallery: Don’t Let This Happen With fairytale images and outmoded techniques, Daniel Barrow narrates intimate stories of growing up, love, loss and transition. Using an overhead projector, he manually animates signature illustrations by layering and maneuvering transparencies as he recites an interrelated story. Recently, he performed Every Time I See Your Picture I Crya […]

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FAVORITE PLACES

Samantha Rees

9 September 2004 - 16 October 2004
Opening Reception 9 September 2004 8pm

Back Gallery Favourite Places Artist Talk by Samantha Rees, Saturday Oct. 16 5pm “When we look up at the sky sometimes we can recognize faces and images in the clouds. We use our past experiences to tell us these images look familiar. After this narratives come quickly and we fill in the blanks the best […]

PAST EXHIBITION

2005 OF THE TOP 3000

Olia Mishchenko

1 July 2004 - 7 August 2004
Opening Reception 1 July 2004 8pm

Back Gallery: 2005 of the Top 3000 “If certain portions of equipment cannot be observed these sections of property are understood to be complex. A worker’s ignorance of one of these machines will not exempt them from the general act of work. (Work will not be confined to expertise or the specific execution of a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

37A LISGAR STREET: A FEW SITUATIONS

Isabelle Pauwels

1 July 2004 - 7 August 2004
Opening Reception 1 July 2004 8pm

Front Gallery: 37A Lisgar Street: A Few Situations Opening night Artist Talk by Isabelle Pauwels, 7PM Pauwels mixes language and architecture, linking them structurally as well as by method of usage. Language is an existing structure that we use to define and present personal intent, and on which we are dependent in order to define […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BORBORYGME

Matt Killen

1 July 2004 - 7 August 2004
Opening Reception 1 July 2004 8pm

PeepHole: Borborygme Matt Killen’s Borborygme extends out of the PeepHole, infiltrating the gallery structurally and through a sound. The sculpture, a twist of pvc piping, is used to filter an already digitally filtered soundtrack, distancing the viewer from the sound source and the original recorded sound.

PAST EXHIBITION

ETHER & GROUNDED

An Te Lie and Michael Meredith

27 May 2004 - 26 June 2004
Opening Reception 27 May 2004 8pm

Front Gallery: Ether (An Te Liu) Grounded (Michael Meredith) “It is fitting that the first study of the North American Chinatown is reconfigured in Ether in a large panorama, the most appropriate form to carry historical narratives of military conquest.” (excerpt from brochure essay by Janine Marchessault). Using suburban ‘satellite’ chinese malls as the graphic bases […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OASIS

Fabrizio Rivola

27 May 2004 - 26 June 2004
Opening Reception 27 May 2004 8pm

Back Gallery: Oasis Special Reception Saturday, 29 May, 2 pm – 4 pm for Oasis a public intervention by Fabrizio Rivola at Historic Fort York, Toronto. “Like many artists of his generation who broke onto the Italian and international scenes in the mid-nineties, Fabrizio Rivola has developed a personal strategy of thought and action, which […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WORKING

Emmanuelle Léonard

8 April 2004 - 15 May 2004
Opening Reception 8 April 2004 6pm

Front Gallery Working “Emmanuelle Léonard‘s project Statistical Landscape (in the eye of the worker) utilises the real estate, infrastructure, labour and audience of Mercer Union to perform a critical political project: clarify the image of the local working mass.” Kika Thorne — excerpt from brochure essay Leonard is a Montreal-based documentary photographer. Her work in […]

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TWO DOGS

Shaan Syed

8 April 2004 - 15 May 2004
Opening Reception 8 April 2004 6pm

Peephole: Two Dogs Shaan Syed, who works primarily as a painter, for his exhibition at Mercer Union has produced Two Dogs, a hand-drawn animated short film showing two dogs in an ongoing and repeated dance of play and seduction. The film will constantly loop on a monitor through the PeepHole, acting as a tiny voyeuristic […]

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WE HAVE A SPECIAL PLAN FOR THIS WORLD

Internationale Virologie Numismatique

8 April 2004 - 15 May 2004
Opening Reception 8 April 2004 8pm

Back Gallery We Have A Special Plan for this World “Tick. Tick. Tick. The sound of both bomb and clock, an irony only if one believes a distinction was ever possible. Especially since time and space begin solely when they are measured, and that is where struggle begins, too. Another possible irony.” IVN— excerpt from […]

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0.001 PERCENT VOLUME

Ben Woodeson, Levin Haegele, Myfanwy Ashmore

Curated by Dave Dyment

26 February 2004 - 3 April 2004
Opening Reception 26 February 2004 8pm

Front Gallery: Point Blank Ben Woodeson. Back Gallery: Glow Space Levin Haegele. PeepHole: enarmoured euphorbia. Myfanwy Ashmore. With 0.001 PERCENT VOLUME Dave Dyment brings together three solo exhibitions: Ben Woodeson’s Point Blank, Levin Haegele’s, Glow Space and Myfanwy Ashmore’s enarmoured euphorbia. In a discussion that looks at critical art practices from the late sixties and […]

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Mercer Union: ACTIVATING SOUNDSYSTEM: FILM NIGHT : Feb 19th, 7PM : : ERIC CHENAUX: Feb 20th, 9PM

19 February 2004 - 20 February 2004

THURSDAY, February 19th, 7PM — FILM NIGHT 01. Jack Hazan: A Bigger Splash , 1974. A fictionalised feature film of David Hockney in London on the eve of his departure for Los Angles. 02. Theodoros Bafaloukos: Rockers, 1978. Set in Jamaica, a drummer, played by Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace, starts producing and distributing his own music […]

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Mercer Union: ACTIVATING SOUNDSYSTEM: London Flaneur Films 01.29 & ina unt ina 01.30

29 January 2004

January 29, 7PM [FREE] — FILM NIGHT: A programme of London Flaneur films and videos. Oliver Payne and Nick Relph: “House & Garage”, 2000. A pseudo-documentary of London, UK focusing on its varied subcultures of music. Following video imagery, Payne and Relph use voiceovers to interject their own opinions and narrative experiences. Mark Leckey: “Londonatella”, […]

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Mercer Union: ACTIVATING SOUNDSYSTEM: Mathieu Beauséjour & Thomas Jonnson

22 January 2004

January 22, 7PM [FREE] — Sound and visual performance by Mathieu Beauséjour, Montreal, Canada. Beauséjour uses the birdcall to explore issues such as heritage and capitalism. Consumer and industrial culture is always careful to align itself with nature – Electronic, birdlike chirps are used to indicate traffic signals to the blind. Most currency contains wildlife […]

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PLAYTIME & SONGS OF LOVE AND ORNAMENT

Tony Romano

15 January 2004 - 21 February 2004
Opening Reception 15 January 2004 8pm

A functional object can be easily passed around and given to someone else to operate. Although it is the borrower’s knowledge of how to operate that object that may seem to be at issue, a deeper concern exists: the transferal of ownership. A level of trust is implicit in this exchange: because I lend you […]

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SOUNDSYSTEM

Mark Leckey

15 January 2004 - 21 February 2004
Opening Reception 15 January 2004 8pm

A functional object can be easily passed around and given to someone else to operate. Although it is the borrower’s knowledge of how to operate that object that may seem to be at issue, a deeper concern exists: the transferal of ownership. A level of trust is implicit in this exchange: because I lend you […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IT’S GOING TO BE A DIRTY NEW YEAR’S December 31, 2003

31 December 2003

Join us at Mercer Union’s Dirty New Year’s Eve Party. Dirty martinis, flowing champagne, red lipstick, tight pants, unclean thoughts, tarnished reputations and krunk rock. Music: from Philly Hollertronix (DJ Diplo & Low Budget)(Turntable Lab/Money Studies, Ninja Tune/Big Dada); from Montréal DJ Tim Hecker (Force Inc/Mille Plateaux, Alien8) vs. DJ Long Duk Dong (Vice, Montreal […]

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CONVALESCENCE & FABELTIER

Muriel Toulemonde

Curated by Rhonda Corvese

23 October 2003 - 29 November 2003
Opening Reception 23 October 2003 8pm

Back Gallery: Convalescence Peephole: Fabeltier “For Muriel Toulemonde, the body is a metaphor of the tragic, and the impossible. Interpreted as an allegorical tragedy, Convalescenceand Fabeltier reference primordial relations and philosophical enquiries.” Rhonda Corvese – excerpt from brochure essay A white horse and a black horse — a visual opposition that’s subtext is one of […]

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UTILITY STRUCTURE

Eric Glavin and Robin Merkisch

23 October 2003 - 29 November 2003
Opening Reception 23 October 2003 8pm

Front Gallery:  Utility Structure “It’s important in my mind that these images I draw from don’t look designed in a high fashion sort of way and that they are also not museum pieces, that they don’t come off looking like they are exemplary of a certain era. They are active elements in the urban framework.” […]

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ANDREW’S BIRDHOUSE

Alisdair MacRae

12 September 2003 - 18 October 2003
Opening Reception 12 September 2003 8pm

Peephole: Andrew’s Birdhouse Within the confines of Mercer Union’s PeepHole, Alisdair MacRae will present a birdhouse, whose entrance mirrors the hole in the gallery wall. Brochure Text by Alisdair MacRae What could have taken several more weeks of decision-making came together in a matter of hours. Until moving to Brooklyn, I hadn’t seen Colin Zaug […]

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STACK

Colin Zaug

12 September 2003 - 18 October 2003
Opening Reception 12 September 2003 8pm

Back Gallery: STACK From a cluttered configuration of second hand furniture and other found objects to a smooth white rolling surface, New York-based artist Colin Zaug clashes mediums and aesthetics for his sculptural installation, STACK. The sculpture adheres itself to the architecture of the gallery, dividing the space like a curtain, simultaneously creating two spaces […]

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PORUS

Massimo Guerrera

12 September 2003 - 18 October 2003
Opening Reception 12 September 2003 8pm

Front Gallery:  Porous For his first solo exhibition in Toronto, Massimo Guerrera will exhibit Porus an on-going project. Over three years Guerrera has produced and accumulated drawings, photographs and sculptures from monthly visits with a handful of friends, peers and acquaintances. In these, often one-on-one, meetings aesthetic objects become the impetus and markers for social […]

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EACH THE SAME TO START

Derek Sullivan

3 July 2003 - 2 August 2003
Opening Reception 3 July 2003 8pm

Back Gallery: Each the same to start “There is an ongoing tug-of-war between lo-fi production and hi-end product, and really, these projects feel more like by-products than products per se.” – Janis Demkiw “You know it seems the more we talk about it. It only makes it worse to live without it. But let’s talk […]

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THE WATER REROUTING INITIATIVE SERIES (WRI)

Adam Frelin

3 July 2003 - 2 August 2003
Opening Reception 3 July 2003 8pm

The Peephole & the Platform: The Water Rerouting Initiative Series (WRI) Adam Frelin‘s public interventions are quick, spontaneous projects executed in public setting, photographed and left running. For his project with Mercer Union, Frelin took over public bathrooms, using duct-tape to redirect the natural flow of water from running sinks to urinals and toilets. Frelin […]

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IN SPITE OF THIS

Pam Lins

3 July 2003 - 2 August 2003
Opening Reception 3 July 2003 8pm

Front Gallery:  In Spite of This “What is given is a light play — a kind of skit for the gallery — achieved by insisting on improvisational handling. ” – Scott Lyall Pam Lins conducts a formal study of formlessness. For her exhibition at Mercer Union, the formless nature of clouds becomes the material centre. […]

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FIRST PERSON

Rebecca Bournigault, kim dawn, Jonathan Horowitz, Sharon Switzer, Kerry Tribe

Curated by Kim Simon

22 May 2003 - 28 June 2003
Opening Reception 3 May 2003 8pm

“You’re like the invisible friend I had as a kid. Except you dress better.” On my less cynical days, I imagine art galleries as part of the public sphere, social spaces where relations of both affinity and conflict are played out through dialogue and debate. Social spaces where, through an encounter with art, we play, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PUSH PLAY

Marie de Sousa, Michelle Forsyth, Mara Korkola, Melinda Morey

Curated by Katharine Harvey

11 April 2003 - 17 May 2003
Opening Reception 11 April 2003 8pm

In “Push Play”, the artists explore how the time-based motion of video and the stillness of the painted surface inform and inspire each other. The luminance of video is an ethereal realm animated by electricity, offering painting another surface in which to refer. The tactile and static realm of painting inspires the immaterial world of […]

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LUTON

John Wood and Paul Harrison-Luton

27 February 2003 - 5 April 2003
Opening Reception 27 February 2003 8pm

Back Gallery: Luton Paul Harrison (b.1966 Wolverhampton, UK) and John Wood (b.1969 Hong Kong) both studied painting at Bath College, UK and have been working together since 1993. Recent exhibitions include Twenty Six (Drawing and Falling Things), Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK; Sudden Glory, CCAC Institute, CA, USA; Gwangju Biennale, South Korea; 2002. Monitor: Volume One, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SCENES 1

Knut Åsdam

27 February 2003 - 5 April 2003
Opening Reception 27 February 2003 8pm

Front Gallery: Scenes 1 / Psychasthenia 10 series 2 Knut Åsdam (b.1968 Trondheim, Norway) He was educated in London, UK at Wimbledon College of Art (1988-9) and Goldsmiths College (1989-92). Åsdam represented Norway in the 1999 Venice Biennial and the 1999 Melbourne International Biennial and has exhibited extensively in the USA and Europe, most recently […]

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A POSTER PROJECT

Johannes Zits

16 January 2003 - 22 February 2003
Opening Reception 16 January 2003 8pm

Platform: A Poster Project Johannes Zits is no stranger to taking art out into the streets. Utilizing a campaign of billboards, posters and large-scale window images, Zits removes his art from traditional spaces and (dis)places it within the path of the everyday. With this platform project, Zits will plaster the streets of Toronto with a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BUZZSCAPE

Duncan MacDonald

16 January 2003 - 22 February 2003
Opening Reception 16 January 2003 8pm

Back Gallery: Buzzscape For his solo exhibition buzzscape, Duncan MacDonald has created three new audio works. The first two works explore the sonics of mechanisms that create and deliver music: Self-recorded record documents the process of fabricating a blank record; the subtle noises that a cd-player makes as it randomizes through 99 tracks are isolated […]

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SHIFTED ROTATING DOOR

Melissa Laing

16 January 2003 - 22 February 2003
Opening Reception 16 January 2003 8pm

Front Gallery: Shifted Rotating Door Melissa Laing will install in the front gallery a flow control mechanism, a shifted rotating door. Dividing the gallery, the off-centered door is the only access point from one space into another.  The door can be swung back and forth in a limited manner and only allows the passage of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CROSS-WALK

Kelly Mark

24 October 2002 - 30 November 2002
Opening Reception 24 October 2002 8pm

The Peephole: Cross-Walk Like much of Kelly Mark‘s practice, hard work is the means to, yet often more important than, the product. For example: making a list, stealing a knife, marking a line, or drawing in letra-set. A task is undertaken for no practical purpose other than to do something. Just like moving back and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TRANSROMANTIK – VOLKSGEIST

Cathy Ward and Eric Wright

24 October 2002 - 30 November 2002
Opening Reception 24 October 2002 8pm

Back Gallery: Transromantik – Volksgeist Transromantik – Volksgeist is our investigation into a type of cultural connectivity which we began in 1997. Our sculptures stand as way-markers or products of a kind of cultural “family tree”. It is an expression of a particular mid-European monomania and romanticism which moves from Caspar David Friedrich to King […]

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THE MATLOCK JUXTAPOZE

Jay Isaac

24 October 2002 - 30 November 2002
Opening Reception 24 October 2002 8pm

Front Gallery: The Matlock Juxtapoze For The Matlock Juxtapoze, Jay Isaac brings together both painting and sculpture in an amalgamation of styles and genres. High and low art are flipped reversibly. Kitch is not only celebrated in its own language, but also translated using the tropes of art historical styles. With expressionist sincerity, surrealist play, […]

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DRIVE

Abigail Reynolds

12 September 2002 - 19 October 2002
Opening Reception 12 September 2002 8pm

Platform:  Drive Our heroine drives down the motorway, attempting to escape the claustrophobic, noisy, absurd and dangerous environment of inner London, England. Ironically, her getaway places her in an equally claustrophobic, noisy, absurd and dangerous environment. While making her high speed escape she struggles to undress. At times her hands are precariously tangled in her […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ROSA

Christian Jankowski

12 September 2002 - 19 October 2002
Opening Reception 12 September 2002 8pm

Back Gallery: Rosa Internationally acclaimed German artist Christian Jankowski, who first came to public attention with Telemistica at the 1999 Venice Biennale and, more recently, The Holy Artwork at the 2002 Whitney Biennial in New York, presents Rosa (2001), a humorous and insightful film that investigates the relationship between art and the advertising and entertainment […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JAMES CARL: RECENT WORKS

James Carl

12 September 2002 - 19 October 2002
Opening Reception 12 September 2002 8pm

Front Gallery: James Carl: Recent Works James Carl‘s meticulous yet spare reconfigurations of found and everyday objects volley between form and content — aesthetic play and aesthetic function. Common materials and common objects. Even with Carl’s precise and over-determined reconstruction loss occurs: three dimensions collapse into two, details vanish, round is just a line. One […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SCRATCH ROOM

Auriane Sokoloski

6 June 2002 - 13 July 2002
Opening Reception 6 June 2002 8pm

Back Gallery: Scratch Room A multi media exhibition that revels in excess, obsessiveness and eccentricity, and questions the aesthetics of taste, for better or worse. John G. Boehme, Reanne Estrada , Maria Legault, Fiona Mowatt, Sarah Skapin, Auriane Sokoloski, Tamara Stone, Holly Ward. “The juxtaposition between hair and cake is like: “Here’s a nice delicious […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THERE’S A HAIR IS MY CAKE…!

Reanne Estrada, Fiona Mowatt, Maria Legault, Tamara Stone, Holly Ward, and Sarah Skapin

6 June 2002 - 13 July 2002
Opening Reception 6 June 2002 8pm

There’s a hair in my cake…! Opening night performance by John G. Boehme A multi media exhibition that revels in excess, obsessiveness and eccentricity, and questions the aesthetics of taste, for better or worse. John G. Boehme, Reanne Estrada , Maria Legault, Fiona Mowatt, Sarah Skapin, Auriane Sokoloski, Tamara Stone, Holly Ward. “The juxtaposition between […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LIGHT DUCT

Michelle Allard

25 April 2002 - 1 June 2002
Opening Reception 25 April 2002 8pm

Platform: Light Duct Light Duct acts to quietly dramatize and bring interest to a simple architectural function. The air vent, a common, uncomplicated building fixture, becomes modified and highlighted through the introduction of a single light source projected through the grating of a wall grill. A possible reading of Light Duct is two-fold. Redirecting attention […]

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1978, 1983?

Elisabeth Arkhipoff

25 April 2002 - 1 June 2002
Opening Reception 25 April 2002 8pm

Back Gallery: 1978, 1983? Arkhipoff will present collages and drawings based on the idea of “custom,” mixing objects that document significance within personal life, with external additives. Elisabeth Arkhipoff was born in the Ivory Coast in 1973 in a bi-cultural family (Ukrainian father and Armenian mother). She studied contemporary literature and philosophy, and started her […]

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DELHI

Kathryn Ruppert

25 April 2002 - 1 June 2002
Opening Reception 25 April 2002 8pm

Front Gallery: Delhi “Artists working with textiles often tend to be marginalized; fabric is customarily allied with the domestic arts. Thus, much contemporary textile works deals with issues of materiality, the separation of art and craft, and the history of manual labour traditionally ascribed to women.” – Lise Hosein Kathryn Ruppert was born in Delhi, […]

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ENTROPIC GYM

Steve Dutton, Steve Swindells, Percy Peacock

14 March 2002 - 20 April 2002
Opening Reception 14 March 2002 8pm

Front and Back Galleries: Entropic Gym Entropic Gym takes up the themes of small disturbances, chance encounters and arrested vision by likening such events to the experience of doubt. In developing work around these themes, new work continues to exploit and further explore some of the reoccurring strategies, which characterize our practice. The work seeks […]

PAST EXHIBITION

XXX TESTIMONIAL: AN EXHIBITION OF WORKS DEDICATED TO SEXUAL IMAGININGS

Sarah Abbott, Stephen Andrews, Michael Brynntrup, Tom Dean, Sadko Hazihasanovic, Johanna Householder, Fabienne Lasserre, Curtis MacDonald, Wrik Mead, Louise Muretich, Chantal Rousseau, and Kika Thorne.

Curated by Deirdre Logue

31 January 2002 - 9 March 2002
Opening Reception 31 January 2002 8pm

Front and Back Galleries: XXX Testimonial: An Exhibition of Works Dedicated to Sexual Imaginings Works that approach sexual subjects require courage, context and openness on the part of both the maker and the viewer. The works in XXX Testimonial are often quite personal and definitely material. In varying degrees, the works are erotic in their […]

PAST EXHIBITION

COLOUR ZONE

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun

Curated by Petra Watson

6 December 2001 - 26 January 2002
Opening Reception 6 December 2001 7pm

Front and Back Galleries: Colour Zone Plug In ICA, Travelling Exhibition “Colour Zone presents an inquiry into the limits and myths of modernist painting and aesthetic ‘primitivism’. Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun’s figurative and abstract paintings, and etchings construct a modern/’primitive’ encounter, that is as much a means of inscribing a new aesthetic concept of form and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE ATTIC OF MY ROOM

Gerhard Treml

25 October 2001 - 1 December 2001
Opening Reception 25 October 2001 8pm

Back Gallery: The Attic of my Room Gerhard Treml’s dissatisfaction with his one room apartment in Vienna has metamorphosed into The Attic of My Room, a work that explores the potential events that might occur in this hypothetical architectural addition. Corn fields, saw mills and parking lots play host to just a few of the […]

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THE SOUND OF MY LIFE AS INFERRED BY THE GOMCO OVERFLOW VALVE

Sean Foley

25 October 2001 - 1 December 2001
Opening Reception 25 October 2001 8pm

Platform: The Sound of My Life on Earth as Inferred by the Gomco Overflow Valve Using a Gomco Overflow Valve, Sean Foley evaluates the elements of juxtaposition and transformation of sound. Blending an extensive variety of source material, Foley illustrates the randomness and coincidence of daily activities.

PAST EXHIBITION

THE GREAT SYNTAX MONUMENT

Jennifer Murphy and Chris Rogers

25 October 2001 - 1 December 2001
Opening Reception 25 October 2001 8pm

Front Gallery: The Great Syntax Monument Jennifer Murphy and Chris Rogers create a new high/low dynamic through their investigation of the correspondences between popular culture, art and iconic symbols. From fashion magazines to rock album covers to nature shows to artworks of the 70s, this collaborative duo incorporates imagery from a variety of sources with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTIST MAIL PROJECT

Kenn Sakurai and Dave O'Regan

1 October 2001 - 1 January 2002
Opening Reception 1 October 2001 8pm

Platform: Artist Mail Project Mercer Union commissioned artists Dave O’Regan and Kenn Sakurai to produce an edition of three small works that will have been mailed out with our last three brochures ending this month, and available to members only.  

PAST EXHIBITION

TV DISASTERS

Julie Andreyev

13 September 2001 - 20 October 2001
Opening Reception 13 September 2001 8pm

Platform: TV Disasters Julie Andreyev questions the construction of media and television images of natural and man-made ‘disasters’, relating their depiction to popular movies by emphasizing a regard for aesthetic form and entertainment. Performance by Mindy Van Miller Coke-dump, 9pm Thursday Sept. 13, 2001

PAST EXHIBITION

TOGGLE WAND

Betsy Coulter & Christy Thompson

13 September 2001 - 20 October 2001
Opening Reception 13 September 2001 8pm

Back Gallery: Toggle Wand Toggle Wand is a collaborative installation which re-examines everyday objects to create an environment unto itself. From a decoy deer to cast foam pustules, Coulter and Thompson collectively point towards a hybridized situation which is entirely familiar and foreign at the same time. The process of organizing a collection of altered […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DROP OUT

Mindy Yan Miller

13 September 2001 - 20 October 2001
Opening Reception 13 September 2001 8pm

Front Gallery: drop out Constructed entirely out of coke cans, drop out, evokes 60’s counter-culture, its re-emergence and its complex relationship to capitalism, drawing on Miller’s interest in historically ‘progressive’ but failed ideologies and issues revolving around loss and community. “drop out, and its related coke-dump, sets up this transformation in the form of a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DEEP, DEEP UNDER THE SEA

Karen Azoulay

21 June 2001 - 28 July 2001
Opening Reception 21 June 2001 8pm

Platform: Deep, deep under the sea My work features a fascination with theatre sets as fantastical locations. Inspired by flat theatre props from the turn of the century, this genre of scenic painting is pared down to the simplistic exoticism of the iconic wave. Clues of their wacky origins litter the narrative landscapes and raise […]

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IKEA LIVING PROJECT SERIES, 1999-2001

Shinobu Akimoto

21 June 2001 - 28 July 2001
Opening Reception 21 June 2001 8pm

Back Gallery: IKEA Living Project Series, 1999-2001. IKEA Living Project Series started with Shinobu Akimoto‘s do-it-yourself construction of small furniture based on IKEA designs selected from IKEA catalogues. The artist has also purchased furniture and products from IKEA, and altered them or simply integrated them with her handmade furniture. The configuration of the installation of […]

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POIESIS

Marianne Lovink & Sheila Moss

21 June 2001 - 28 July 2001
Opening Reception 21 June 2001 8pm

Front Gallery: Poiesis “Lovink’s images look much like a landscape in which the earth itself has been dissected to show us where the roots of plants proceed downward, culminating in sacs. Lovink “draws” a three-dimensional image by hanging sculpted, steel rods in front of an aluminum frame; the shadows cast by the steel rods draw […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CITY OF FICTIONS

Gustavo Artigas, Roberto de la Torre, Yoshua Okon, Katya Brailovsky, Ximena Cuevas and Israel Mora

Curated by Gwen MacGregor

10 May 2001 - 16 June 2001
Opening Reception 10 May 2001 8pm

Front & Back Gallery: City of Fictions Lecture: Katya Brailovsky, Yoshua Okon, Roberto de la Torre, 7 pm Performances: Thursday May 10, 7-10pm, Gustavo Artigas Saturday May 12, 2pm, Israel Mora, Roberto de la Torre Six artists from Mexico City presenting a variety of work in performance, site specific installation, video and photography in the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PEEP-SHOW

Dallas Wehrle

29 March 2001 - 4 May 2001
Opening Reception 29 March 2001 8pm

Platform: peep-show Dear D, I barely remember what happened and who started it. Frankie apologized the next day, so don’t worry about it. It was a great party, man. I pissed inside a bank machine on the way home, and then when I got home I stripped naked in the front hallway and went upstairs […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LANDESCAPE

Hanna Haska, Jennifer Marman, Lynne Marsh

29 March 2001 - 5 May 2001
Opening Reception 29 March 2001 8pm

Front & Back Galleries: Landescape A pictorial landscape by definition is finite. Cropped, charted, and isolated from a larger spatial expanse, it proposes a singular viewpoint. The specificity of this isolated terrain determines it as a ‘site’ designated for a particular activity, structure, or situation. landescape brings together a group of artists who each represent […]

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RING PILE

David Abecassis

15 February 2001 - 24 March 2001
Opening Reception 15 February 2001 8pm

David Abecassis The Peephole: Ring Pile This work is a celebration of life through light. It is an inquiry of light as energy, meant to give viewers a tingle. The bottom of each ring opens up like a plastic toy you may find as a prize in a bag of children’s candy. These rings are […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MINED SITES

Suzanne Nacha

15 February 2001 - 24 March 2001
Opening Reception 15 February 2001 8pm

Back Gallery: Mined Sites Mining the surface (and more) Suzanne Nacha told me that she sees mining as a metaphor for painting. Interesting that it isn’t the other way around. In producing this series of minescapes, Nacha uses the language of painting to address issues of excavation and industrialized signs of human life based on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JACK JEFFREY: RECENT WORKS

Jack Jeffrey

15 February 2001 - 24 March 2001
Opening Reception 15 February 2001 8pm

Front Gallery: Jack Jeffrey: Recent Works Spaced Out: Jack Jeffrey’s Sculptures Over the past ten years, Jack Jeffrey has created a broad inventory of effective systems of demarcating personal, social and bureaucratic space. As part of the exhibition at Mercer Union, a number of Jeffrey’s sculptures based on this rich archive are ‘spaced out’ to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Mercer Union: A Love Story, February 10, 2001

8 February 2001 - 10 February 2001

Dear Artist or Art Lover, “Where do I begin?”. . . the sweet refrain from the theme song for Love Story is the inspiration for our upcoming Member’s exhibition. It’s our pleasure to invite you to participate in Mercer Union: A Love Story. This fabu fete is in part a thank you to the sexy, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAKE ME: WORK FROM JAPAN

Kevin Ei-Ichi deForest

7 December 2000 - 20 January 2001
Opening Reception 7 December 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Make Me: Work from Japan Never the Twain Shall Meet We arrived in Japan (specifically Kyoto) for the long haul…long enough anyway – Kevin for a year and a half, and I for a year. It was a shock. What did we expect? Out of that time and place, objects, texts, positions were […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ÉCOLE D’AVIATION

Diane Landry

7 December 2000 - 20 January 2001
Opening Reception 7 December 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: École d’aviation (Flying School) The Corolla and its Corollaries Still on the edge of the site, we can already feel something that resembles a murmur. We are listening to the life origin of the things we are about to discover. A breathing reveals the proximity of organic life, at the very moment we enter […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BURROW

Rita M.C. Filicetti

7 December 2000 - 20 January 2001
Opening Reception 7 December 2000 8pm

Platform: Burrow What are you thinking? THINK I just decided to squeeze myself through some tiny hole just for the fun of it? Well I must admit, that is actually somewhat true – but come on, I’m saying something here! I’m straining myself. I’m in anguish and serious pain and…Hay! What are you struggling through? […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TICKS

Richard Moszka

26 October 2000 - 2 December 2000
Opening Reception 26 October 2000 8pm

Platform: Ticks You suck your thumb, comb your hair, pick your ear… usually unconsciously. Even when you’re in public you don’t seem to be aware that you’re doing it. You can’t help yourself. Nervous? A repetitive physical action that’s somehow comforting. It might seem charming, even mesmerizing, or merely awkward to others. Personally, it just […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SELF HELP

Joan Dymianiw, Alexander Irving, The Ladies Afternoon Art Society, Susie Major, Hall Smyth, Daniel Olson, and R.M. Vaughan

Curated by Anda Kubis

26 October 2000 - 2 December 2000
Opening Reception 26 October 2000 8pm

Front and Back Gallery: Self Help “YUPPIE, DINK… Indeed, the entire acronym-based way of looking at consumer culture is starting to seem …seriously old-fashioned… Still, the mere fact that less than a decade has passed since such terms were viewed as powerful marketing tools does show the difficulty of pinning down consumer groups in a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LEAK INTO SPACE

Dave Armstrong-Six

14 September 2000 - 21 October 2000
Opening Reception 14 September 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Leak into Space Leak Into Space is the overall title for new time-based works by Dave Armstrong-Six. A dumpster will be dragged into the Back Gallery where it will house a labyrinthine construction made from such ‘structureless’ substances as syrup, glue, Vaseline, decayed drywall and sand. Accompanying this are two new videos: Track […]

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PLACECARDS

Katharine Harvey, Arthur Kleinjan, Germaine Koh, Jennifer McMackon, Chris Sollars, and Amy Wilson

14 September 2000 - 21 October 2000
Opening Reception 14 September 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Placecards There’s No Place Like Here My friend has a silver sticker adhered to the inside of his front door which reads, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HERE. True always, self-evident even, and yet this glittery assertion manages to startle with each encounter. The fact that my friend’s door opens on to the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE INVADER

Alex Morrison

6 July 2000 - 5 August 2000
Opening Reception 6 July 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Space Invader The difference between ‘home’ and ‘house’ is rhetorical yet philosophical in nature. Domestic architecture, physical as it may be, is rooted in an ideological abstraction called ‘home’,an agglomeration of support systems and amenities such as the nuclear family, friendly neighbors, backyard cookouts and full-package cable TV. Alex Morrison‘s oeuvre emerges from […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NO VISITORS

Janis Demkiw

6 July 2000 - 5 August 2000
Opening Reception 6 July 2000 8pm

Platform: No Visitors I am not home all that often. When I am, I never know quite what to do with myself. Sometimes it gets lonely. A guest would be nice because it’s not much fun having lots of things without the occasional show-and-tell. My peephole lets me check the hallway without disturbing my neighbors. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MODEL FOR PUBLIC SPACE

Adrian Blackwell

6 July 2000 - 5 August 2000
Opening Reception 6 July 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Model for Public Space Open Focus  It’s a dream of the perfect party where conversation, as powerful as a song, cascades along a slow twisting course, leading nowhere in particular. Stand back and it makes a gleeful remark on what the modernist architect shares with the skate punk: a love of aerial feats. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GOLD COMET CYCLONE

Lee Goreas

25 May 2000 - 30 June 2000
Opening Reception 25 May 2000 8pm

Platform: Gold Comet Cyclone Car Trouble I have been photographing the chrome name plates of various 1960-1973 North American automobiles for 3 years. After the completion of this photographic project I began photographing customized plastic models of 1960-1973 North American automobiles, which are both new and broken down.  I photographed these newly broken down models […]

PAST EXHIBITION

KELLY RICHARDSON

Kelly Richardson

25 May 2000 - 30 June 2000
Opening Reception 25 May 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Camp Was Kelly Richardson Born on a Hill? Kelly Richardson’s work appears simple, but it makes me ruminate on primal things. Often modest in scale and execution, her materials are often acutely banal: beer caps, broken drumsticks, used corks, old concert T-shirts. Her images are brief and concise: the moon at night, undulating […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TWEAK

Amanda Bindley, Hildur Bjarnadottir, Lucky De Bellvue, Chris Hanson, Tracy Nakayama, Hendrika Sonnenberg, and Arye Wachsmuth

25 May 2000 - 30 June 2000
Opening Reception 25 May 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Tweak Curated by Michael Buckland “It was so cold where we were,” bragged the explorer, “that the candles froze and we couldn’t blow them out.” ” That’s nothing.” said his pal. “Where we were, the words came out of our mouths in pieces of ice, and we had to fry them to find […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ANIMOSE

Greg Staats

13 April 2000 - 20 May 2000
Opening Reception 13 April 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Animose First on the agenda of any respectable military regime’s list of things-to-do is the restriction, or outright prohibition, of free cultural expression. Take recent events in Afghanistan, for example. Who would have thought that at this pinnacle of civilization an 8 x 10 glossy could strike such fear in the heart of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OLYMPIC VILLAGE

Derek Sullivan

13 April 2000 - 20 May 2000
Opening Reception 13 April 2000 8pm

Platform: Olympic Village Olympic Village presents a modest proposal for a group of athletes’ residences constructed in a chalet style. An encapsulated social experiment? A perfect village for perfect people? An ant farm of athletes? Based upon the A-frame cottage of Cortina or St. Moritz holiday fantasies, this building project is the product of a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MARIE CLAUDE BOUTHILLIER

Marie Claude Bouthillier

13 April 2000 - 20 May 2000
Opening Reception 13 April 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Marie Claude Bouthillier Let us begin, as the saying goes, at the beginning. After all, the right starting point is the foundation of every success, whether a journey or an argument. And in the painting of Marie-Claude Bouthillier – in so many respects both a journey and an argument – the starting point […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SIREN

Lyla Rye

2 March 2000 - 8 April 2000
Opening Reception 2 March 2000 8pm

Platform: Siren Mercer Union is excited to introduce Platform, a new programming series, whose mandate is to encourage artistic and curatorial experimentation. Lyla Rye’s most recent work, Siren; launches the series with a small scale installation in The Hole. The forlorn cry of a baby draws us to a hole in a wall through which […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SCRATCH & LEAH MODIGILIANI

Leah Modigiliani

2 March 2000 - 8 April 2000
Opening Reception 2 March 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Scratch and Leah Modigliani Scratch is a uni-monikered artist who reverse-engineers notions of gender through a kaleidoscopic gaze of late 1960s car culture and domestic appliances. Ads are appropriate raw material for Scratch who is as media-savvy as the medium he folds, spindles, mutilates, and silk-screens. He is a marketer, or to use […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE COMMONPLACE

Joy Episalla

2 March 2000 - 8 April 2000
Opening Reception 2 March 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: The Transfiguration of the Commonplace Joy Episalla‘s work achieves what Flannery O’Connor called “the transfiguration of the commonplace”. Although O’Connor’s life and work could not be more different, at least on the surface, than Episalla’s, I find that I often think of O’Connor’s greatest fiction when I look at Episalla’s photographs. Like O’Connor, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BEE MOVIE

Kenn Bass

13 January 2000 - 26 February 2000
Opening Reception 13 January 2000 8pm

Back Gallery: Bee Movie One mild February day during the most recent el Nino winter, a wasp wandered into Kenn Bass’s studio in Brooklyn. He caught it and videotaped it for a few days before releasing it. The out-of-season wasp became the imagery for Bee Movie, a projection of much edited and manipulated footage onto […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SUSAN DETWILER

Susan Detwiler, Kenn Bass

13 January 2000 - 26 February 2000
Opening Reception 13 January 2000 8pm

Front Gallery: Susan Detwiler For Susan Detwiler, the question is “Where does the life go when a living thing dies?” It’s a child’s question, I suppose. Certainly, there are religious answers to the child’s question: the spirit goes to heaven or hell, or is reincarnated, or escapes the cycle of birth and death. It’s common […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROVISIONS

Kathryn Walter

4 November 1999 - 18 December 1999
Opening Reception 4 November 1999 8pm

Back Gallery: Provisions The sound loop – a repetitive machine noise – sets the scene immediately: industrial-age workshop or micro-factory. Those familiar with Kathryn Walter’s work will recall she has made various projects on development sites that are also sites of demolition. In these locations, the contradictory conditions of production/destruction form a backdrop. In Mercer […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IDA’S SECRETS

Lissa Robinson

4 November 1999 - 18 December 1999
Opening Reception 4 November 1999 8pm

Front Gallery: Ida’s Secrets Mass Hysteria A Secret elicits a desire to uncover the truth. The implications of something hidden appeals to our sense of curiosity and sense of adventure. We begin a journey, a process of discovery, by searching for clues… In Lissa Robinson’s installation Ida’s Secrets, our first clue is a pile of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SELF PORTRAIT, LOANS FROM THE NVISIBLE MUSEUM

Francis Alys, Nobuyoshi Araki, Mark Pimlott, Liisa Roberts, Damien Hirst, Georgina Starr, Brad Kahlhamer, Sam Taylor-Wood, Emma Kay, Rachel Witeread, Steve McQueen, Zhang Huan

25 September 1999 - 31 October 1999
Opening Reception 25 September 1999 8pm

Interview with the anonymous for the anonymous, by Mercer Union, 21 August, 1999 MU: About yourself, what were you wearing when you thought of the idea? I was in London having a diet coke at Mark Pimlott’s studio in Old Street. Probably a Kiasma cap, Calvin Klein black t-shirt XL, old jeans with a pair […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TONY FEHER

Tony Feher

13 May 1999 - 26 June 1999
Opening Reception 13 May 1999 8pm

Project Room & Window: Tony Feher Slide presentation: Thursday, May 13, 1999, 7 pm Tony Feher creates sculptures with generic objects and materials of the most humble nature, often drawn from the daily urban environment. He reinterprets rules of seriality, arrangement and scale from Minimalist sculpture into pieces charged with emotion and a sense of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ESCAPE FROM PHOTOGRAPHY

Mark Bell and Denise Hawrysio

13 May 1999 - 26 June 1999
Opening Reception 13 May 1999 8pm

Main Gallery: Escape from Photography Slide presentation: Wednesday, May 19, 1999: 7 pm Escape From Photography Photography is tyranny. Everyone knows this. From the unwitting victim of the surprise snapshot to the subjects of Bourke-White’s Auschwitz photographs immediately upon liberation, no one wishes to be photographed. To be photographed is to have one’s identity fixed […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IDORU

Amanda Steggell and Michelle Teran

1 April 1999 - 31 December 1999
Opening Reception 1 April 1999 8pm

Internet Broadcast: Idoru Who is the Idoru? This is where the Idorus Rala Froct and Mindoru meet, two fictional digital personalities who inhabit cyberspace. Rala Froct and Mindoru are the creations of artists Michelle Teran (Toronto, Canada) and Amanda Steggell (Oslo, Norway). In a series of web cam meetings, each artists will perform as their […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FAKING HISTORY

Daniel Bowden, Hanna Claus, Angela Inglis, Grant McConnell, Sally McKay, Alison Norlen, Steve Venright

Curated by Mary Anne Barkhouse & Reid Diamond

1 April 1999 - 8 May 1999
Opening Reception 1 April 1999 8pm

Main Gallery: Faking History Nobody ever suggests that there was anything interesting going on before our planet came along, just a lot of solids and liquids, a lot of heating and cooling and spinning around, and a lot of splitting and rejoining of things. – Sally McKay, How it all Began… SCIENTISTS have recently discovered […]

PAST EXHIBITION

360 MILES APART

Rocco Turino

18 February 1999 - 27 March 1999
Opening Reception 18 February 1999 12am

Window: 360 Miles Apart If mom was a doctor serves as a basis for 360 Miles Apart. The work derives from repeated periods of convalescence in between doses of media. One acquires a new relationship to their environment when immobilized temporarily and in that process discovers bed rest to be a tiring occupation. Your room […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LEAVING ROOM FOR MOVEMENT AND MAKING ROOM FOR MOVEMENT

Clint Griffin

18 February 1999 - 27 March 1999
Opening Reception 18 February 1999 8pm

Project Room: Leaving room for movement and making room for movement I am surprised in the space where people meet, surprised we do not knock into each other. Patterns or beliefs and behaviours leave room and make room with the help of others, subtly going back and forward following order between orders and ordering acts […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE INTRICATE POTENTIAL OF THE KNOWN

Elana Herzog and Dianna Frid

18 February 1999 - 27 March 1999
Opening Reception 18 February 1999 8pm

Main Gallery The Intricate Potential of the Known There are several things the works of Elana Herzog and Dianna Frid have in common. They both use fabric as their main material. They both create evocative montages, objects or sculptures that can be of unwieldy beauty and irritating appearance. They both subvert the meaning and purpose […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PATICIU CALIMENTE

Patriciu Calimente

8 January 1999 - 14 February 1999
Opening Reception 8 January 1999 8pm

Window: Patriciu Calimente The Provincial Lunatic Asylum was designed very much in the style of a grand estate at the edge of the urban centre. It was thought to be beneficial to its occupants and was part of a reform movement in the treatment of the mentally ill. Its design was much removed from the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INTERFACE

Michael Buchanan

8 January 1999 - 14 February 1999
Opening Reception 8 January 1999 8pm

Project Room: Interface I am interested in the place where people or objects meet and in their potential to communicate and be altered through their interactions. Two elements compose this work. The first element is a video projection of a computer-rendered mouse. He attempts to escape the frame of the projection and like Sisyphus is […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IT, AND ALL THE REST OF IT

Gretchen Sankey

8 January 1999 - 14 February 1999
Opening Reception 8 January 1999 6pm

Main Gallery: It, and all the rest of it Part One Clint Eastwood pulled out his rifle and aimed it at Roxy. Everybody screamed. The movie theater had gone darker than was intended for normal visual consumption. But soon it became obvious that it was more extensive than just the absence of projected light. Even […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DIAGNOSTICS

Dariusz Boron

5 November 1998 - 19 December 1998
Opening Reception 5 November 1998 8pm

Window: Diagnostics The inspiration for Diagnoistics was provoked by the book Technology and The Canadian Mind. In particular, I found inspirational the writing by Kroker and Harold Innis and Innis’ determination to create a fusion point between individual circumstance as historical beings buffeted by social forces beyond our control and silent language of industrial technology […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SENSELUCENCE

Iris Seyler

5 November 1998 - 18 December 1998
Opening Reception 5 November 1998 8pm

Project Room: Senselucence Senselucence ploys glass in a way that inverts its conventional symbolic meaning. The layers are reminiscent of the stratigraphic column of geology. The photocopies of the eye, mouth, nose, ear and finger embedded in these layers mimic fossils – or rather fossilized tracks deposited at different points in time. The entire construction […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MEMORIAL FOR AN INVISIBLE MONUMENT

David Miller

5 November 1998 - 19 December 1998
Opening Reception 5 November 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: Memorial for an Invisible Monument Towards the end of the XXth century people are looking backwards, into the past, as did Angelus Novus in Klee’s painting interpreted by Walter Benjamin. If I remember well, the angel’s gaze froze as in a ‘flashback’ that momentarily shed light into the dark corridor of history. “This […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE ASCENSION OF THE GOOD BUSINESS MAN

Janet Morton

10 September 1998 - 31 October 1998
Opening Reception 10 September 1998 8pm

Windows: The Ascension of the Good Businessman Morton’s window installation was inspired by her daily bike trips up Bay Street and by her belief that in some way or another, each of us has aspirations of transcendence. Janet Morton has recently exhibited in a number of group shows throughout Ontario including the Galleria, London and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE LAST SUPPER

Michael Alstad

10 September 1998 - 31 October 1998
Opening Reception 10 September 1998 8pm

Project Room: The Last Supper “My installation at Mercer is a response to a New York Times news item which was reprinted in the Globe and Mail’s Focus & Books section. The article What’s Cooking on Death Row was a report of the 144 men executed by Texas in the last 15 years and the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS IN AERODYNAMICS: 6 & 7

George Bures Miller

10 September 1998 - 31 October 1998
Opening Reception 10 September 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: Simple Experiments in Aerodynamics: 6 & 7 George Bures Miller‘s Simple Experiments in Aerodynamicsseries are less propositions for actual scientific experiments and more points of departure, preparatory works that represent and inform the sentiments of surprise, daring and crisis that accompany the experimental and subsequent experiential process. The mixed media sculptures are spare, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DIG, HEAD-LEVEL HAPPENING, COURTESY MOMENTS: AFTER YOU

John Marriott

25 June 1998 - 1 August 1998
Opening Reception 25 June 1998 8pm

Windows: Dig, Head-level Happening, Courtesy Moments: After You (Art that Says Hello) In some of my art, as seen in this exhibition, I attempt to bring together disparate references, often taken from banal or common-place social artifacts, behaviours, or codes of meaning that are considered so unglamorous or boringly functional as to be unworthy of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PHALAENE, SPIDERSENSE #6

Penelope Stewart

25 June 1998 - 1 August 1998
Opening Reception 25 June 1998 8pm

Project Room: Phalaene, Spidersense #6 In Penelope Stewart’s site-sensitive installation for The House Project (1994), the architecture played an integral role as the armature for the work. The careful tailoring of the room to organza articulated and made visible that body, that skin, that invisible history latent within that space, the House; the site of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN DICKSON

John Dickson

25 June 1998 - 1 August 1998
Opening Reception 25 June 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: John Dickson The Enlightenment provided an ordered model of the universe. That model was mechanical. The mechanical universe was solvable, computable, predictable. That was the hope. A doubting hope. Some prefer to say that curiosity motivates, then as now, humanity’s search for answers; and admittedly, curiosity does have feel-good appeal – a creative, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A GUIDED VIEWING, SPIDERSENSE #5

Juliet Palmer

14 May 1998 - 20 June 1998
Opening Reception 14 May 1998 8pm

Project Room: A Guided Viewing, Spidersense #5 Mercer Union is pleased to present the fifth part in the Spidersense series of six exhibitions curated by board members Reid Diamond and Evelyn Von Michalofski. For each Spidersense, a visual artist and a concrete poet engage in spatial activities: one artist in the project room and one […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EUPHORIA – EMPORIA

Ingrid Chu

14 May 1998 - 20 June 1998
Opening Reception 14 May 1998 8pm

Windows: Euphoria-Emporia Euphoria-Emporia examines how we are influenced and affected by our surrounding environment. Through the creation of a false storefront window, Chu examines the effects of consumer culture on our society. Taking cues from advertising, fashion, and the media. Chu’s window display operates as both an artistic and commercial display, challenging what is and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THERE’S SOMETHING I’VE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU

Bruce La Bruce, Lisa Deanne Smith, David Grenier

14 May 1998 - 20 June 1998
Opening Reception 14 May 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: There’s Something I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You To utter the classic leading line There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…–even without making the specific revelation that it preludes–is to already betray a great deal: that there is something to be said, that something prevents it from being said, and that something […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MOUNTAIN SERIES

Donna Brunsdale

2 April 1998 - 9 May 1998
Opening Reception 2 April 1998 8pm

Windows: Mountains series Mercer Union is pleased to present Calgary-based Donna Brunsdale in the window. Brunsdale has documented things which are often overlooked, have little importance and few notable features. Photographs from the Mountains series are incorporated into the window, constructing mini-landscapes derived from the artists’ observations of snow and gravel residue in Canadian cities. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

XXX VIDEO. SPIDERSENSE #4

Barry Isenor

2 April 1998 - 9 May 1998
Opening Reception 2 April 1998 8pm

Project Room: XXX Video, Spidersense #4 Mercer Union is pleased to present the fourth part in the Spidersense series of six exhibitions curated by board members Reid Diamond and Evelyn Von Michalofske. For each Spidersense, a visual artist and a concrete poet engage in spatial activities: one artist in the project room and one artist […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RYAN’S ARCADE

Luanne Martineau

2 April 1998 - 9 May 1998
Opening Reception 2 April 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: Ryan’s Arcade Many cities have an emblematic promotional image and for Calgary its the skyline with the Saddledome, the city’s hockey arena, looming in the foreground. As an architectural trope of its western image, the Saddledome perfectly encapsulates a civic narrative, a story which Luanne Martineau’s recent installation Ryan’s Arcade circuitously evokes. Calgary’s […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE TWAIN SHALL MEET

David Bobier

19 February 1998 - 28 March 1998
Opening Reception 19 February 1998 8pm

Windows: The Twain Shall Meet Through his site-specific window installation, The Twain Shall Meet, David Bobier continues to illustrate the evolution of communication among and between deaf and hearing people. The window installation contains wall illustrations of hands signing the names of five pairs of deaf and hearing people who, through their historic relationships, have […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CAMERA AND PROJECTOR, SPIDERSENSE #3

Murray Favro

19 February 1998 - 28 March 1998
Opening Reception 19 February 1998 8pm

Project Room: Spidersense #3: Camera and Projector Mercer Union is pleased to present the third part in the Spidersense series of six exhibitions curated by board members Reid Diamond and Evelyn Von Michalofski. For each Spidersense, a visual artist and a concrete poet engage in spatial activities: one artist in the project room and one […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ACCIDENT PRONE

Nancy Davenport

19 February 1998 - 28 March 1998
Opening Reception 19 February 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: Accident Prone Accident-Prone, a new series of photographs by Nancy Davenport, offers a meditation contingency and the tragi-comic compulsion to create order in the face of random events. In each of the fifteen silver print landscape photographs, a character is about to suffer a fatal misfortune, be it a dreadful fall from a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JANITOR COLOGNE

Andrew Harwood

8 January 1998 - 14 February 1998
Opening Reception 8 January 1998 8pm

Windows: Janitor Cologne Janitor Cologne is dedicated to all artists who work at crap jobs to make ends meet. It is also a tribute to those men and women who work cleaning public spaces in institutions and who largely go unnoticed as individuals, often invisible to the people for whom they clean. It is ironic […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DISSEMBLING LANGUAGE, SPIDERSENSE #2

Sylvia Ptak

8 January 1998 - 14 February 1998
Opening Reception 8 January 1998 8pm

Project Room: Dissembling Language, Spidersense #2 Mercer Union is pleased to present the second part in the Spidersense series of six exhibitions curated by board members Reid Diamond and Evelyn Von Michalofski. For each Spidersense, a visual artist and a concrete poet engage in spatial activities; one artist in the project room and one artist […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BABY PICTURES

Philip Grauer

8 January 1998 - 14 February 1998
Opening Reception 8 January 1998 8pm

Main Gallery: Baby Pictures Encountering Philip Grauer’s Baby Pictures sculptures-in reproductions, at the gallery-one is compelled to ask, in quite a normal tone of voice: What are these strange lumber shapes which are ready to be tucked into bed or taken again to the kindergarten? Or else: What are these twisted sisters and brothers, these […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RENE: THEREFORE I AM

Beth Learn

8 January 1998 - 14 February 1998
Opening Reception 8 January 1998 8pm

Brochure: Rene: Therefore I Am Beth Learn has been creating computer-generated graphic text layers since the early 1980’s. Through software such as Paintshop Pro, Compupict, Photoshop and Corel, Learn has mixed weaved and produced image/text interface to create a number of web/”book” projects. The first “book” to come from her investigation was released in January, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ELEGY FOR SUGAR GROVE

Darren Wershler-Henry

6 November 1997 - 20 December 1997
Opening Reception 6 November 1997 8pm

In the Brochure: Elegy for Sugar Grove  Darren Wershler-Henry contributes the first installment of visual poetry with his piece Elegy for Sugar Grove.

PAST EXHIBITION

ARGUMENT #3, RIVERS OF WHITE, SPIDERSENSE #1

Tom Bendtsen

6 November 1997 - 20 December 1997
Opening Reception 6 November 1997 8pm

Project Room: Argument #3, Rivers of White Spidersense #1 A series of six episodes in which a visual artist and a concrete poet engage in spatial activities, taking possession of the associative texts and presentation space of the project room. A series that serves as a touch point between two seemingly separate disciplines, sometimes creating […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE INVISIBLE INSURRECTION OF A MILLION MINDS

Ross Sinclair

6 November 1997 - 20 December 1997
Opening Reception 6 November 1997 8pm

Main Gallery and Windows: The Invisible Insurrection of a Million Minds Musings on Real Life and Ross Sinclair Artist Ross Sinclair wrote an engaging essay entitled, Scotland – A Brief and Fractured Introduction to the History of the Period 1983-2083,. In this text, Glasgow-born Sinclair weaves a tale of a semi-fictitious Scotland of the future […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN WILKINSON

John Wilkinson

Curated by Peter Hill

5 November 1997 - 17 November 1997
Opening Reception 5 November 1997 8pm

Paintings

PAST EXHIBITION

GESTATING FUTURE

Alfred Engerer

11 September 1997 - 1 November 1997
Opening Reception 11 September 1997 8pm

Windows: Gestating Future Alfred Engerer‘s Gestating Future references the subconscious acquisition of words, symbols, language etc., and the consequential process of understanding. Within the process of agreement and acceptance of their values through communication resides either the mindful contemplation and unquestioning docility or an accidental absorption that is time evolves to mindless acquisition or the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DESTABILIZED LANDCAPES

Nora Noranjo-Morse

Curated by Lisa Steele and Kim Tomczak

11 September 1997 - 1 November 1997
Opening Reception 11 September 1997 8pm

Destabilized Landscape: Post-Colonial Space and Unreal Estate. Concurrently presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario. What Was Taken… And What We Sell Nora Naranjo-Morse presents her video installation What was Taken… And What We Sell in the Mercer Union Project Room as part of The Destabilized Landscape: Post-Colonial Space and Unreal Estate Exhibition concurrently presented […]

PAST EXHIBITION

KARATE GIRLS AND PROTEGES

Eliza Griffiths

11 September 1997 - 1 November 1997
Opening Reception 11 September 1997 8pm

Eliza Griffiths Karate Girls and Proteges In popular culture today, the characters of teenage girls are kicking ass like never before. Vampire slayers, tankgirls, batgirls, teenage witches – these over-the-top roles play to a contemporary audience hungry for action while also serving as an articulation of individual identity. Characterized by self-reliance and personal exploration, these […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE NIGHT I MET MY FARTHEST BROTHER

Anna Lefsrud

26 June 1997 - 2 August 1997
Opening Reception 26 June 1997 8pm

Window: The Night I Met My Farthest Brother Mercer Union is pleased to present The Night I Met My Farthest Brother by Toronto-based artist Anna Lefsrud. Since graduating from York University with her BFA Honours Degree, Lefsrud has exhibited in a number of collective exhibition including the 1994 and 1996 Duke-U-Menta projects and in previous […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PARAGONS

Heather Cameron

26 June 1997 - 2 August 1997
Opening Reception 26 June 1997 8pm

Project Room: Paragons The word ‘text’ comes originally from textile: it means the interweaving of different threads,” says Heather Cameron. In her piece Paragons from her show Consuming Passion. Cameron’s use of textiles, with its gentle irony and humour, critiques culturally dominant narratives of the virgin/whore dichotomy by conflating them. The consequence is a delightful […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PSEUDONYMS AND SIMILARITIES

Adrienne Trent, Jennifer McMackon, Richard Storms, Alan Belcher, Michael Balser and Sharon Switzer

Curated by Natalie Olanick

26 June 1997 - 2 August 1997
Opening Reception 26 June 1997 8pm

Main Gallery: Pseudonyms and Similarities The exhibition explores the potential of fantasy to undermine fixed viewing and speaking positions, the possibility of changing places as a means of destabilizing subjectivity. “Chuck the map and wander, tourism fails us…the greener grass is but a show-lawn. This fertile astroturf remains unmarked, this home-grown is neighborhood not. Maybe, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPRAWL

Christine Burchnall, Sara Hartland-Rowe, Paul Lamothe, Naomi and Shyrl London, machyderm: Dermot Wilson and Christopher McNamara, Greg Staats, and Jeffrey Thomas

Curated by Bev Koski, Sylvie Fortin, and David Merrit

15 May 1997 - 12 June 1997
Opening Reception 15 May 1997 8pm

Sprawl: An Experiment The programming committee of Mercer Union invited four guest curators from Diverse backgrounds, nationalities and experiences to coordinate “Sprawl”, and exhibition and symposium. From a wide Ontario spread, the co-curators Sylvie Fortin, R. William Hill, David Merritt and Daniella Sneppova are committed to exploring the embodied and imaginary relationships which lie between […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MY CRUEL APRIL

R.M. Vaughan

3 April 1997 - 10 May 1997
Opening Reception 4 April 1997 8pm

Windows: My Cruel April The Mercer Union window is an exhibition space with a natural duality. Those who pass by the window, perhaps not knowing the context of the work, are still afforded visual interaction, while those viewers inside are offered a more intimate experience. R.M. Vaughan’s installation/performance My Cruel Aprilis an inversion of the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THANK YOU, COME IN…THANK YOU, COME AGAIN

Su-An Yun

3 April 1997 - 10 May 1997
Opening Reception 3 April 1997 8pm

Main Gallery: Encounters of the Other Kind In Su-An Yun‘s Thank you, come in… Thank you, come again! a grid of over 100 black and white photographs lines a gallery wall. Obscure and recessed within stark white borders, the images appear to be gridded twice, even three times within their outer frame. On closer viewing, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GHOSTWRITER #5

Michelle Gay, Janice Kerbel, Evelyn Von Michalofski

3 April 1997 - 10 May 1997
Opening Reception 3 April 1997 8pm

Ghostwriter 5 Curated by Millie Chen Mercer Union is pleased to present Ghostwriter 5, the last in a series of five project room exhibitions which posit art making and writing as interlocked processes. Each exhibition is a collaborative project formed by the fusion of the Ghostwriter/curator and the artist(s) he/she chooses to work with. Each […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ALAN FLINT

Alan Flint

20 February 1997 - 29 March 1997
Opening Reception 20 February 1997 8pm

Window: Alan Flint Mercer Union is pleased to present a text piece by Hamilton artist Alan Flint in the window. The Mercer Union window space is an exhibition site with a natural duality. Viewers pass by the window, perhaps not knowing the context of the work, but are still afforded the visual interaction. Those who […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GHOSTWRITER #4

Charlynn Bedroux & Anne Goldin, Brent Cehan, John McLachlin

Curated by Andy Fabo

20 February 1997 - 29 March 1997
Opening Reception 20 February 1997 8pm

A Project Room Series: Ghostwriter #4 Mercer Union is pleased to present Ghostwriter #4, the fourth in a series of five project room exhibitions which posit art making and writing as interlocked processes. Each exhibition is a collaborative project formed by the fusion of the Ghostwriter/curator and the artist(s) he/she chooses to work with. Each […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MASQUERADE

Lucy Hogg, Tulsa Kinney, and Ron Terada

20 February 1997 - 29 March 1997
Opening Reception 20 February 1997 8pm

Main Gallery: MASQUERADE Mercer Union is pleased to present a group exhibition by Lucy Hogg (Vancouver), Tulsa Kinney (Los Angeles) and Ron Terada (Vancouver). All three interrogate their own relationship to several variations on painting’s histories. Hogg paints monumentally scaled versions of the eighteenth century French artists Antoine Watteau’s paintings, Gilles, in highly chromatic and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SONOTUBE GARDEN

Laura Teneycke

9 January 1997 - 15 February 1997
Opening Reception 9 January 1997 8pm

Windows: Sonotube Garden The Mercer Union window space allows for a natural duality, giving viewers the option to access the work from the public visibility of King Street West or to enter the gallery space to experience the work as an intimate, first hand experience. Sonotube Garden is a site-specific wall-scape which is an extension […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GHOSTWRITER #3

Robert Houle and Don Hall

Curated by Gerald McMaster

9 January 1997 - 15 February 1997
Opening Reception 9 January 1997 8pm

Ghostwriter #3: A Project Room Series Featuring Robert Houle and Don Hall A View of Things Mercer Union is pleased to present Ghostwriter #3, the third in a series of five project room exhibitions which posit artmaking and writing as interlocked processes. Each exhibition is a collaborative project formed by the fusion of the Ghostwriter/curator […]

PAST EXHIBITION

I AM THE GREATEST

Roland Jean

9 January 1997 - 15 February 1997
Opening Reception 9 January 1997 8pm

Main Gallery: I AM THE GREATEST Mercer Union is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Toronto artist Roland Jean. Jean will exhibit five oil-on-stapled-together-plywood paintings that each juxtapose a caricatural portrait with an appropriation from a recent American or European painting. Despite the fact that the caricatures are based on widely circulated images-magazine and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOURNEYMAN

Jack Niven

7 November 1996 - 21 December 1996
Opening Reception 7 November 1996 8pm

Windows: Journeyman The Mercer Union window space allows for a natural duality, giving viewers the option to access the work from the public visibility of King St. West or to enter the gallery space to experience the work as an intimate, first hand experience. “The term ‘journeyman’ is a certification of a degree of professional […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GHOSTWRITER #2

John Abrams, Faye Heavyshield, and Veronica Verkeley

Curated by Mary Anne Barkhouse

7 November 1996 - 21 December 1996
Opening Reception 7 November 1996 8pm

Ghostwriter #2: a Project Room Series Mercer Union is pleased to present Ghostwriter #2, the second in a series of five project room exhibitions which posit artmaking and writing as interlocked processes. Each exhibition is a collaborative project formed by the fusion of the Ghostwriter/curator and the artist(s) he/she chooses to work with. Each Ghostwriter […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RED REFLECTION I

Yasufumi Takahashi

7 November 1996 - 21 December 1996
Opening Reception 7 November 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: Red Reflection I Artist talk November 9 at 2 pm with translator KaYoko Gluck Mercer Union is pleased to present an installation by Japanese artist Yasufumi Takahashi. Red Reflection I is a gigantic disc of discarded clothes, dyed red and hand stitched together. The disc is suspended from hooks on the wall and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LASSO

Barb Webb

12 September 1996 - 2 October 1996
Opening Reception 12 September 1996 8pm

Window: Lasso The Mercer Union Window space allows for a natural duality, giving viewers the option to access the work from the public visibility of King St. West or enter the gallery space to experience the work as an intimate, first hand experience. In conjunction with a performance at the Mockingbird on September 20, Barb […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GHOSTWRITER #1

Shirin Neshat

Curated by Jamelie Hassan

12 September 1996 - 2 October 1996
Opening Reception 12 September 1996 8pm

Ghostwriter #1: A Project Room Series Memories of Oranges/Meeting in Istanbul Mercer Union is pleased to present Ghostwriter #1, the first in a series of five project room exhibitions which posit artmaking and writing as interlocked processes. Each exhibition is a collaborative project formed by the fusion of the Ghostwriter/curator and the artist(s) he/she chooses […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TOXIC LANDSCAPE

Jean-Marie Martin

12 September 1996 - 2 October 1996
Opening Reception 12 September 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: Toxic Landscapes Mercer Union is pleased to present a solo exhibition of paintings by Brooklyn based artist Jean-Marie Martin. His recent paintings are produced with toxic materials such as lead and copper based paint, asbestos canvas and powder. Encased in safety glass, the painting Black Sea is made with anti-fouling copper based paint. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CULTURAL POLITICS, COLONIALISM AND RESISTANCE

Alanis Obomsawin, Vincent Monnikendam, Marlon E. Fuentes, and Adolfo Davila

Curated by Jorge Manzano

6 July 1996 - 3 August 1996
Opening Reception 6 July 1996 8pm

Cultural Politics, Colonialism and Resistance Program #1: Alanis Obomsawin – My Name is Kahentiiosta (Canada/1995/28 min.) Vincent Monnikendam – Mother -Dao- The Turtlelike (Netherlands/1995/90 min.) Program #2: Marlon E. Fuentes – Bontoc Eulogy (U.S.A./1995/57 min.) Adolfo Davila – Raza (U.S.A./1993/41 min.) Mercer Union is pleased to present a video programme curated by filmmaker Jorge Manzano. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ALTER-PIECE

Sharona Plakidas

6 July 1996 - 3 August 1996
Opening Reception 6 July 1996 8pm

Window: Alter-Piece Sharona Plakidas featured by Desh Pardesh Mercer Union is pleased to present new work by Sharona Plakidas In the Window. Plakidas explores the bi-polarities of the profane and the sacred; of the circus tent and the church, with self portraits and a number of additional props such as a circus wagon and flying […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TEN

Peter Bowyer, David Buchan, Cathy Daley, Robert Flack, Eldon Garnet, Mark Gomes, Garry Neill Kennedy, Mark Lewis, Arnaud Maggs, Randy & Berenicci, Brian Scott, Shirley Yanover; Cold City Gallery: Therese Bolliger, Peter C

6 July 1996 - 3 August 1996
Opening Reception 6 July 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: TEN Cold City Gallery Tenth Anniversary Exhibition Cold City Gallery is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an exhibition featuring the work of the gallery’s former and present members. Founded in the fall of 1986 by Dyan Marie and others, Cold City Gallery initiated a new departure in the concept of the artist-run gallery. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LOVE GASOLINE

Vito Acconci, Eleanor Antin, Jacki Apple, Lynda Benglis, Chris Burden, Colin Campbell, Ian Carr-Harris, Mary Beth Edelson, Dan Graham, Douglas Huebler, Suzy Lake, Rita Myers, Tania Mouraud, Dennis Oppenheim, Carolee Schneemann, Michael Snow, Lisa Steele, Colette Whiten, Hanna Wilke and Martha Wilson Whiten, Hannah Wilke

Curated by Barbara Fischer

23 May 1996 - 29 June 1996
Opening Reception 23 May 1996 8pm

Love Gasoline The exhibition Love Gasoline presents a close look at issues of subjectivity and identity as they suddenly erupted in contemporary art in a few concentrated years around 1970. Presenting seminal works by artists such as Vito Acconci, Hannah Wilke, Eleanor Antin, Michael Snow, Dennis Oppenheim, Lisa Steele, Tania Mouraud, Colette Whiten, Suzy Lake […]

PAST EXHIBITION

REVIEW 4, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALIENTATED AND COLLECTIVE CULTURES? (1990-1995)

Artists' Political Action Collective (APAC), Nether Mind, Place & Show, Spontaneous Combustion

4 April 1996 - 15 May 1996
Opening Reception 4 April 1996 8pm

Project Room: Review 4: What is the Difference Between Alienated and Collective Cultures? (1990-1995) Un Canadien errant Je vais et je viens Entre tes mots… What was that? Did Jane Birkin have a prude-attack? Did Brigitte Bardot forget the words to the most famous French pop song ever recorded (je t’aime, moi non plus; composer: […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CLEAN

Marija Maslar

4 April 1996 - 15 May 1996
Opening Reception 4 April 1996 8pm

Window: CLEAN Mercer Union is pleased to present Clean, an installation by Marija Maslar. Clean consists of components constructed from rubber gloves, surgical tubing, and cast objects. Maslar’s assemblage juxtaposes the ordered sterility of modern medicine with the powerful force of the female body. The medicinal instruments replace body components acting as contained barriers, devoid […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PAUL COLLINS

Paul Collins

4 April 1996 - 15 May 1996
Opening Reception 4 April 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: Paul Collins Mercer Union is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new paintings by Paris based artist Paul Collins. His recent paintings are produced with a method of using sheets of Bubble Wrap as dot-laden printing plates. The inked bubbles, popped or whole, act as image-carrying pixels, allowing for the construction of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

REVIEWS 3, MASS MEDIA, ART AND CULTURE (1985 – 1990)

Stephen Andrews, David Findlay, Janic Gurney, Susan Kealey, Helen Lee

Curated by Tom Folland and Natalie Olanick

22 February 1996 - 30 March 1996
Opening Reception 22 February 1996 8pm

Reviews 3: A Project Room series Mass Media: Art and Culture (1985 – 1990) Reviews is a series of four exhibitions which re-situate some of the last 20 years in the Toronto art scene. Reviewing not only individual works but also the critical context in which the work was produced, this series attempts to expand […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IMBALANCE.3

George Bures Miller

22 February 1996 - 30 March 1996
Opening Reception 22 February 1996 8pm

Window: Imbalance.3 Mercer Union is please to present Imbalance.3, presented in the new series In the Window at Mercer Union. Imbalance 3 is part of George Bures Miller’s continuing series called Simple Experiments in Aerodynamics. In the long narrow window space, an antique chandelier is randomly catapulted along an 18 foot path casting erratic shadows […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BILL CRANE, KELLY MARK AND CARL TRAHAN

Bill Crane, Kelly Mark, and Carl Trahan

22 February 1996 - 30 March 1996
Opening Reception 22 February 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: Bill Crane, Kelly Mark, and Carl Trahan Mercer Union is pleased to present a group exhibition of sculpture installations by Toronto artist Bill Crane, Montréal artist Carl Trahan and Halifax artist Kelly Mark. The exhibition focuses on issues of object and image systems; as each artist explores the dynamic of multiple objects and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LONG-THIN-CONTOUR

Angela Leach

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

11 January 1996 - 17 February 1996
Opening Reception 11 January 1996 8pm

Window: One Work: Long – Thin – Contour Leach’s small-scale, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d- horizontal-format painting Long – Thin – Contour (1996) depicts intricate patterns of curvilinear, coloured lines. The lines are meticulously painted on a smooth panel surface that has been treated with washes of acrylic paint. The many layers of paint applied to each line add […]

PAST EXHIBITION

REVIEWS 2, THE MONUMENTAL NEW CITY, ART AND COMMUNITY (1980 – 1985)

William S. Brown, David Buchan, David Clarkson, Stan Denniston, Andy Fabo, Oliver Girling, sybil Goldstein, Tim Jocelyn, Rae Johnson, Sandra Meigs, Bernie Miller, Andy Patton, Brian Scott, John Scott, Judith Sc

Curated by Tom Folland and Natalie Olanick

11 January 1996 - 17 February 1996
Opening Reception 11 January 1996 8pm

Reviews 2: A Project Room series: The Monumental New City: Art and Community (1980 – 1985) Reviews is a series of four exhibitions which re-situate some of the last 20 years in the Toronto art scene. Reviewing not only individual works but also the critical context in which the work was produced, this series attempts […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NESTOR KRUGER

Nestor Kruger

11 January 1996 - 17 February 1996
Opening Reception 11 January 1996 8pm

Main Gallery: Nestor Kruger Mercer Union is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new paintings by Nestor Kruger. Krugers’ work investigates socially constructed subjects associated with environments related to leisure, escape and natural perfections such as the ideal of the suburban community. Working from generic snapshots of suburban architecture from real estate tabloids , […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DOUBLE PLAZA

Peter Legris

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Cla

9 November 1995 - 23 December 1995
Opening Reception 9 November 1995 8pm

Foyer: One work…Double Plaza Peter Legris’ Double Plaza (1994/95) is part of a series of works which investigates relationships between painting and photography. Legris’ procedure is to attach one or two photographs to a larger masonite surface. The relative emptiness of a larger panel surrounding the intensity of a smaller photograph becomes for Legris a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

REVIEWS 1, EXPERIMENTAL: ARTS AND IDEAS (1975 – 1980)

Suzy Lake, Joyce Weiland, Jane Wright, CEAC (the Centre for Experimental Art and Communication).

Curated by Tom Folland and Natalie Olanick

9 November 1995 - 23 December 1995
Opening Reception 9 November 1995 8pm

Reviews: A Project Room Series Experimental: Art and Ideas (1975 – 1980) Photography/Painting Toronto Artists

PAST EXHIBITION

THE MUSEUM OF SAFETY GEAR FOR WILD ANIMALS

Bill Burns

9 November 1995 - 23 December 1995
Opening Reception 9 November 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Safety Gear for Wild Animals Mercer Union is pleased to present The Museum of Safety Gear For Wild Animals, by Canadian artist Bill Burns. Burns’ previous installation Analgesia (1993), exhibited at Galerie Rochefort in Montreal, employed architectural dioramas on the theme of the pharmaceutical industry. The Museum of Safety Gear For Wild Animals […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A BALLAD TO MY LORD

Faki (Stephen Olabode Fakiyesi)

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

28 September 1995 - 4 November 1995
Opening Reception 28 September 1995 8pm

Foyer: One work…A Ballad to My Lord One Work is a series of exhibitions that responds to the possibilities of MErcer Union’s new location. Individual artworks will be exhibited in the various spaces outside of the two formal galleries. These spaces include the stairwell, the windows and the foyer area. A Ballad to my Lord […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CORPORAL ECONOMICS

Laura Kipnis

Curated by Andrew J. Paterson, Gary Kibbins and John de Stefano

28 September 1995 - 4 November 1995
Opening Reception 28 September 1995 8pm

Project Room: Corporal Economics Mercer Union is pleased to present Corporal Economics, a video exhibition curated by Andrew Paterson. Corporal Economics combines three video artists who investigate tensions surrounding economic structures and bodily functions. John Di Stefano’s Tell Me Why: The Epistemology of Disco, investigates the gay movement, and its relationship to AIDS and market […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EUAN MACDONALD & HEIDI KUMAO

Euan MacDonald and Heidi Kumao

28 September 1995 - 28 October 1995
Opening Reception 28 September 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Euan MacDonald & Heidi Kumao Mercer Union is pleased to present an exhibition of works by Toronto artist Euan MacDonald and New York artist Heidi Kumao. Both artists employ projections as the main visual component of their current work. MacDonald projects computer animation and drawings, adapting images to specific sites. Kumao employs projections […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS

Garnet Willis

Curated by Jennifer McMackon and Max Streicher

29 June 1995 - 5 August 1995
Opening Reception 29 June 1995 8pm

Project Room: White Lily Presents: cluster – flux in Just and the true nature of strings White Lily Presents cluster-flux in Just and the true nature of strings, an instrument/installation by composer, musician and instrument maker Garnet Willis. The installation features the Horizontal Electronically re-Resonated Harp (HERRH), Willis’ most recent experimental creation. The HERRH is […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NATURED

Richard Deschenes, Nicole Doucet, Alexander Pilis, Sylvie Readman, Susan Shantz

Curated by Claire Christie and Sandra Gregson

29 June 1995 - 5 August 1995
Opening Reception 29 June 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Natured Curated by Claire Christie and Sandra Gregson, this exhibition addresses the relationship between the body and its environment, particularly to what we know as nature. Resonating throughout the works is the impulse to identify with something, to fix an identity. Rather than assuming either harmony or dichotomy, natured provokes a complex reconsideration […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ONCE REMOVED

Lorna Brown

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

25 May 1995 - 24 June 1995
Opening Reception 25 May 1995 8pm

Foyer: One work…ONCE Removed One Work is a series of exhibitions that responds to the possibilities of MErcer Union’s new location. Individual artworks will be exhibited in the various spaces outside of the two formal galleries. These spaces include the stairwell, the windows and the foyer area. Lorna Brown’s work has focused on how society […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS: NIGHT GALLERY

Daniel Bowden and Stacey Lancaster

Curated by Jennifer McMackon and Max Streicher

25 May 1995 - 24 June 1995
Opening Reception 25 May 1995 8pm

Project Room: White Lily Presents: Night Gallery White Lily Presents Night Gallery, an experimental collaboration by Daniel Bowden and Stacey Lancaster in the Project Room at Mercer Union. Night Gallery is a media installation that explores the manifold world of the sleeper. Stacey Lancaster and Daniel Bowden use a combination on film and video images […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A PURPLE HAZE

Warren Murfitt

18 May 1995 - 24 June 1995
Opening Reception 18 May 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: A Purple Haze. Mercer Union is pleased to present A Purple Haze, an installation of sculptural and photographic works by Vancouver artist Warren Murfitt. The installation opens with a hanging, laminated plywood cube which partially obstructs the entrance to the gallery. Inside the gallery, a small constructed room contains a floor-to-ceiling photograph of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPACE OPERA

Richard Sewell

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

20 April 1995 - 20 May 1995
Opening Reception 20 April 1995 8pm

Windows: one work… Space Opera One Work is a series of exhibitions that responds to the possibilities of Mercer Union’s new location. We will be exhibiting individual artworks in the various spaces outside of our two formal galleries. These spaces include the stairwell, the windows and the foyer area. The exhibition schedule will rotate on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS: LIFE BUOY

Regan Morris and Nadine Norman

Curated by Jennifer McMackon and Max Streicher

20 April 1995 - 20 May 1995
Opening Reception 20 April 1995 8pm

Project Room: White Lily Presents: Life buoy White Lily Presents Life buoy, an experimental collaboration by Regan Morris and Nadine Norman in the Project Room at Mercer Union. The elements of this installation posit an institutional shower as a confluence of personal, historical and cultural waters. By analogy, we are led to consider our multiple […]

PAST EXHIBITION

UNRESTORED

Richard Purdy

6 April 1995 - 13 May 1995
Opening Reception 6 April 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Unrestored Unrestored (1995) consists of an installation of framed oil paintings that appear to be minor eighteenth- or nineteenth-century European works 60 rely in need of conservation and repair. These contemporary works present sly anachronistic disjunctions: they are painted by Purdy in an elaborate scumble and glaze technique and treat conventional Beaux-arts subjects– […]

PAST EXHIBITION

…THERE WILL BE TIME…

Sybil Goldstein

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

16 March 1995 - 15 April 1995
Opening Reception 16 March 1995 8pm

Foyer: one work…There will be time… One Work is a series of exhibitions that responds to the possibilities of MErcer Union’s new location. Individual artworks will be exhibited in the various spaces outside of the two formal galleries. These spaces include the stairwell, the windows and the foyer area. Sybil Goldstein’s large-scale painting There will […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS: I’M A FAILURE

Michael Fernandes

Curated by Jennifer McMackon and Max Streicher

16 March 1995 - 15 April 1995
Opening Reception 16 March 1995 8pm

PROJECT ROOM: White Lily Presents: Michael Fernandes I am a failure Failure carries such a stigma. It is calling attention to oneself. Here I am, I’m a loser, everything I touch turns to nought. I’m afraid I won’t have enough savings for my old age. I’m afraid I am not physically attractive. I’m afraid I […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DOGGY DOG WORLD

Mark Vatnsdal and Rob Craigie

23 February 1995 - 1 April 1995
Opening Reception 23 February 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Doggy Dog World Painting / Sculpture Installation Montreal and American Artist  

PAST EXHIBITION

STAMPED

Lee Goreas

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

9 February 1995 - 30 April 1995
Opening Reception 9 February 1995 8pm

Bathroom: one work…Stamped One Work is a series of exhibitions that responds to the possibilities of MErcer Union’s new location. Individual artworks will be exhibited in the various spaces outside of the two formal galleries. These spaces include the stairwell, the windows and the foyer area. In Stamped (1995), Lee Goreas will “stamp” up to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS: BLIND DATE

Greg Hefford and Mario Scattoloni

Curated by Jennifer McMackon and Max Streicher

9 February 1995 - 11 March 1995
Opening Reception 9 February 1995 8pm

PROJECT ROOM: White Lily Presents: Blind Date White Lily Presents Greg Hefford and Mario Scattoloni’s Blind Date, a collaborative installation in the Project Room at Mercer Union. Greg Hefford is a member of NetherMind. His work was recently featured as part of the Power Plant’s Naked State exhibition. Mario Scattoloni is a founding member of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EVERYDAY

David Blatherwick

Curated by John Armstrong and Moira Clark

12 January 1995 - 4 February 1995
Opening Reception 12 January 1995 8pm

Foyer: one work…Everyday As a response to the architectural possibilities of the gallery’s new site, Mercer Union will be inaugurating One Work – exhibitions of individual artworks in various spaces outside of the two formal galleries, including the stairwell, windows and foyer. The exhibition schedule for this project will rotate on a monthly basis. For […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHITE LILY PRESENTS BROWN SPOT COLLECTIVE (THE JOHN VEENEMA MEMORIAL EXHIBITION)

Michael Buckland, Jill Henderson, Marc Streifling, John Veenema, Shannon Wadsworth

Curated by Jennifer McMackon & Max Streicher

12 January 1995 - 4 February 1995
Opening Reception 12 January 1995 8pm

Project Room: White Lily Presents Brown Spot, an association of artists, some of whom were more recently based in Glasgow. Their project, The John Veenema Memorial Exhibition includes individual as well as collaborative works and promises candy, commerce and daily change of batteries. White Lily presents is the curatorial initiative of Jennifer McMackon and Max […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WAKE

Doug Ischar

12 January 1995 - 18 February 1995
Opening Reception 12 January 1995 8pm

Main Gallery: Wake Doug Ischar’s Wake is a multimedia installation that includes film projections, video, found text, photographs and objects. “In Wake, boys lead on to desires through an alluring quick turn of a head or an antagonistic two-handed gesture that barks “come only,” as the lead of a film reel is suspended in its […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DROWNED V

Choi Yan-Chi

5 November 1994 - 22 December 1994
Opening Reception 5 November 1994 8pm

Main Gallery: Drowned V – swimming in the dark Brochure Text: I take it the preservers of ancient culture have read the classic in which it says, “Lin Hui abandoned jade worth a thousand gold pieces, but ran away carrying the child.” This can hardly be considered the act of a beast. But what, pray, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NOWHERE

Maria Thereza Alves

17 September 1994 - 29 October 1994
Opening Reception 17 September 1994 8pm

Main Gallery: Nowhere Brochure Text: Nowhere is the third in a series of installations by Maria Thereza Alves, all of which have had succinct names which are themselves about naming. No Soy Su Madre (I Am Not Your Mother) was the first and alluded to the kind of epithets man has traditionally used in reference […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GORDON LAIRD

Gordon Laird

23 June 1994 - 30 July 1994
Opening Reception 23 June 1994 8pm

Gordon Laird Photography Main Gallery Canadian Artist

PAST EXHIBITION

MURKY WATERS

Gwen MacGregor

13 May 1994 - 18 June 1994
Opening Reception 13 May 1994 8pm

Main Gallery: Murky Water Over the past three years, Gwen MacGregor has divided her time between London, England and Toronto. When in London, she participates in the activity of mudlarking – the digging up of objects from the banks of the Thames. For a few Londoners, mudlarking is a profession, and metal detectors are used […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHAT’S REQUIRED

Natalie Olanick & Richard Storms

Curated by Moira Clark

31 March 1994 - 7 May 1994
Opening Reception 31 March 1994 8pm

Main Gallery: What’s Required We both edit our work down to a point where there is a certain ambiguity. The images I incorporate in my work are very ambiguous until I put them together, until the configuration gives them a kind of meaning and function. But I then try to empty the work of that […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GIRRLY PICTURES

Julie Zando, Abigail Child, G.B. Jones, Lutz Baker, Sue Williams and Nan Goldin

Curated by Shonagh Adelman

10 March 1994 - 2 April 1994
Opening Reception 10 March 1994 8pm

Project Room Series: Girrly Pictures Schedule: April 7 – April 30, 1994 Girrly Pictures 2 Su Freidrich Video American Artist Catalogue: Girrly Pictures June 23 – July 30, 1994 Girrly Pictures 3 Lorna Boschman and Kiss + Tell Video Canadian Artists Catalogue: Girrly Pictures September 17 – October 29, 1994 Girrly Pictures 4 Lutz Bacher […]

PAST EXHIBITION

UNDER THE SURFACE

Helmut Dorner

Curated by Gregory Salzman

17 February 1994 - 26 March 1994
Opening Reception 17 February 1994 8pm

Under the Surface Mercer Union is pleased to present the first North American exhibition of work by German painter Helmut Dorner. The exhibition Helmut Dorner Under the Surface is curated by Gregory Salzman and will be traveling to the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver in April, 1994. Helmut Dorner’s abstract paintings reaffirms a deep-seated need […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RECOLLECT

Denyse Thomasos

27 January 1994 - 26 February 1994
Opening Reception 27 January 1994 8pm

Project Room: Recollect Denyse Thomasos’ Recollect, 1993, is a mural (scaled 19 x 18 foot) painting that virtually covers the largest of the Mercer Union Project Room’s walls. This work continues Thomasos’ interest In making paintings that evoke architecture, and/or work in conjunction with a specific architectural setting, to give visual form to the representation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NEIL MACINNIS

Neil MacInnis

13 January 1994 - 12 February 1994
Opening Reception 13 January 1994 8pm

Main Gallery: Neil MacInnis Montreal artist Neil MacInnis seeks to reactivate the form of textiles as a means to provide a social context in which communities may express their identities and tell their stories. MacInnis’ textile works serves as one of those voices, relating the people’s story of sturggle, journey, and realization. He attempts to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL IMPERATIVE

Janice Tanaka, Monique Moumblow, Steve Reinke.

Curated by Michelle Gay

20 November 1993 - 22 December 1993
Opening Reception 20 November 1993 8pm

Project Room: The Autobiographical Imperative: Series #8 This exhibition of video tapes curated by Michelle Gay, opens on November 20th at 3pm and continues through December 22, 1993. In all the recent video tapes in this exhibition, there is a conscious rejection of a fixed identity. By playing with the construct of autobiography, these artists […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ELI LANGER

Eli Langer

20 November 1993 - 22 December 1993
Opening Reception 20 November 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: Eli Langer A solo exhibition of work by Toronto artist Eli Langer opens on November 20th at 3pm and continues through December 22, 1993. Langer’s work focuses on the tender and often abject aspects of sexuality and intimacy. His images are largely informed by intuitive personal and social drives, exploring the phenomenon of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THINGS WE NEVER THINK ABOUT…

Camille Turner and Jim Ruxton

19 September 1993 - 30 November 1993
Opening Reception 19 September 1993 8pm

Exhibition took place at: Theatre Centre 1032 Queen St West Sponsored by Mercer Union.  

PAST EXHIBITION

FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE

Micah Lexier, Martine Neddam, Louise Noguchi, Michel Paysant, Brian Scott, Taroop & Glabel

Curated by Ginette Legarè and Alain Rienaudo

11 September 1993 - 23 October 1993
Opening Reception 11 September 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: For Lack of Evidence For Lack of Evidence is a collaborative project between Mercer Union and the Galerie d’Art Contemporain, Herblay, France. This exhibition focuses on an investigation of belief systems and power structures, exploring strategies of critique and ultimately the configuration of social mechanisms. Toronto artists Micah Lexier, Louise Noguchi and Brian […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM: SERIES #7

Rose Kallal

31 July 1993 - 21 August 1993
Opening Reception 31 July 1993 8pm

Project Room: Series #7 Displaying lushly coloured visceral forms against surfaces so glossy that they seem wet, Rose Kallal’s recent photographs create a provocative sense of organic ambiguity, fascination and dread. They suggest a dynamic polymorphous body, imagining sensuously folded flesh in saturated hues of glistening red and yellow. Though their association with the body […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM: SERIES #6

Tom Dean and Rae Johnson

Curated by Sharon Brooks

8 July 1993 - 29 July 1993

Project Room Series If the most enduring proposition in the history of Canadian art has been the landscape – it is perhaps because it has proven to be an exceedingly adaptable subject matter. Continually reinvented over several centuries to suit the shifting interests of Canadian artists, it has accommodated diverse poetic, philosophic, aesthetic and political […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE IMAGE TO THE WOMAN

Tenesh Webber

8 July 1993 - 14 August 1993
Opening Reception 8 July 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: The Image to the Woman Tenesh Webber’s series of unique large-scale black and white photographs and photograms evidence and exploration into the layering of visual information. Through various manipulative techniques involving negative layering, solarization and drawing and collage, Webber incorporates imagery gleaned from mass culture to produce “fractured narratives” referencing social and political […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #5: THE ROOM OF 1000 PAINTINGS

Sandra Meigs

27 May 1993 - 24 June 1993
Opening Reception 27 May 1993 8pm

Project Room Series #5: The Room of 1000 Paintings Under the title Series, Mercer Union is presenting a number of exhibitions in the Project Room which investigate the recent history of local art. Series 5 is a remounting of Sandra Meigs’ Room of 1000 Paintings first exhibited in 1986. The show opens on May 27 […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ERIC GLAVIN

Eric Glavin

27 May 1993 - 3 July 1993
Opening Reception 27 May 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: Eric Glavin An exhibition of paintings by Toronto artist Eric Glavin opens on May 27 at 8pm and continues through July 3, 1993. Eric Glavin works with a palette of shapes and colours culled from the advertising and signage which constitute the visual language of the everyday. The scale of his paintings make […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #4

Andy Patton and Doug Walker

Curated by Sharon Brooks, Marla Hiady, Carolyn White

29 April 1993 - 22 May 1993
Opening Reception 29 April 1993 8pm

Project Room Series #4 Under the title Series, Mercer Union is presenting a number of exhibitions in the Project Room which investigate the recent history of local art. Series 4 is an exhibition of work by Andy Patton and Douglas Walker from the 1980’s. The show opens on April 29 at 8pm and continues through […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE HELIOTROPIC (PART II)

Allen Ball, Cornelius Heesters, Rhodri KAsperbauer, David Kramer, Gordon Lebredt, Hugh McCague + Carl Peters, and Clara Ursitti.

Curated by Jennifer McMackon

29 April 1993 - 22 May 1993
Opening Reception 29 April 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: The Heliotropic MEDIA RELEASE Part I: April I – April 24, 1993 Opening April 1 at 8:00 pm Part II: April 29 – May 22, 1993 Opening April 29 at 8:00 pm The Heliotropic is an exhibition in two parts which takes as its starting point a matrix of issues brought together under […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #4: CARDIGAN

Janet Morton

Curated by Sharon Brooks, Marla Hiady, Carolyn White

1 April 1993 - 24 April 1993
Opening Reception 1 April 1993 8pm

Project Room: Cardigan: Project #4 Brochure Text: Cardigan Janet Morton is particularly fascinated by art’s ability to transform common objects – and she accomplishes this transformation with apparent ease and a surprisingly light touch. Morton duplicates objects from the everyday world and through the process, infuses them with desire. This fetishizing process is so inherent […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE HELIOTROPIC (PART I)

Millie Chen + Warren Quigley, Susan Gold, Paul Mathisen, Evelyn Von Michalofski, Carl Skelton, Janet Werner, and TIm Westbury

Curated by Jennifer McMackon

1 April 1993 - 24 April 1993
Opening Reception 1 April 1993 8pm

Main Gallery The Heliotropic MEDIA RELEASE Part I: April I – April 24, 1993 Opening April 1 at 8:00 pm Part II: April 29 – May 22, 1993 Opening April 29 at 8:00 pm The Heliotropic an exhibition in two parts which takes as its starting point a matrix of issues brought together under the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #3: ARTIFACTS FROM GENERATION X

Andrea Ward

4 March 1993 - 27 March 1993
Opening Reception 4 March 2023 12am

Project Room Series #3: Artifacts from Generation X Artifacts from Generation X, opens on March 6 at 3pm and continues through March 27, 1993. This is the third in a series of site-specfic works created for the Project Room. In her installation Artifacts from Generation X, Andrea Ward explores ideas about memory, collections and personal […]

PAST EXHIBITION

VIKKY ALEXANDER

Vikky Alexander

18 February 1993 - 27 March 1993
Opening Reception 18 February 1993 8pm

Main Gallery: Vikky Alexander This exhibition of works by Vikky Alexander from the 1980’s and 1990’s opens on February 18 at 8pm and continues through March 27, 1993. Over the past decade, Vikky Alexander has constructed a body of finely crafted multi-media work which relentlessly examines contemporary society’s desire for, and construction of, the “Natural”. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #2

John Scott

4 February 1993 - 27 February 1993
Opening Reception 4 February 1993 8pm

Project Room Series #2   This simple, untitled installation — John Scott’s sincere-biker-esthetic memento mori — invited reflection on the transience of life, virility, and fossil fuels. It consisted of 20 skulls-and-crossbones on paper warped to accommodate a light bulb placed behind each image that was, in turn, hooked up to a tape recorder. All […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #1 : LOGO SERIES

Julie Arnold

7 January 1993 - 30 January 1993
Opening Reception 7 January 1993 8pm

Project Room Series #1: Logo Series Writing the text for my own exhibition document, several options are open-to me. I could produce an artist’s statement didactic in tone. This approach would serve to explain Logo Series in the form of a digestible capsule including a definition of terms: As artists continue to acknowledge their role […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NEOLITHIC TANGO

Lance Belanger

Curated by Carol Podedworny

7 January 1993 - 13 February 1993

Main Gallery: Neolithic Tango Mercer Union is pleased to present an installation by Ottawa artist, Lance Belanger titled Neolithic Tango, curated by Carol Podedworny. This is the second solo exhibition in a series of three intending to address issues of marginalization and history-making, first articulated in Podedworny’s earlier curatorial project, Rethinking History which was mounted […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SERIES #3 IN THE PROJECT ROOM

Robert Fones

26 November 1992 - 19 December 1992
Opening Reception 4 November 2023 12am

Project Room: Series #3 in the Project Room Under the title Series, Mercer Union is presenting a number of exhibitions in the Project Room which investigate the recent history of local art. Series 3 is an exhibition of work by Robert Fones from the early 1970’s. The show opens on November 26 at 8pm and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DOMESTIC BLISS

Ben Smit

26 November 1992 - 19 December 1992
Opening Reception 19 November 1992 8pm

Main Gallery: Domestic Bliss Domestic Bliss, an exhibition of recent sculpture and drawings by Toronto artist Ben Smit, opens at Mercer Union November 19 at 8pm and continues through December 19, 1992. Challenging the myths of modern day urban parenting, the exhibition includes a baby crib constructed out of glass neon tubes, a potty made […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SERIES #2 IN THE PROJECT ROOM

Arnaud Maggs and Lisa Steele

29 October 1992 - 21 November 1992

Project Room: Series #2 This exhibition examines the staging of the body in relation to the viewer. That is to say, in these works the body is presented as a site of representational investigation – not only as material object, but also as a manifestation of history and identity. The photographs by Arnaud Maggs and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

KAREN HENDERSON

Karen Henderson

15 October 1992 - 14 November 1992
Opening Reception 15 October 1992 8pm

Main Gallery: Karen Henderson Mercer Union is pleased to present the work of Toronto-based artist Karen Henderson in her first solo exhibition in Toronto. Henderson’s large-scale wall works have incorporated materials such as lead and treacle in installations which are rooted in visuality. Her exhibitions are concerned with a process which references: chance, repetition, relationship […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT ROOM SERIES #1: PAINTINGS FROM THE EG SERIES

Jaan Poldaas

1 October 1992 - 24 October 1992
Opening Reception 1 October 1992 8pm

Project Room: Project Room Series 1: Paintings from the EG Series Jaan Poldaas’s EG Series (1978), an investigation into the limits and possibilities of painting, evokes a crucial moment in recent art discourse when the critical potential of abstract painting appeared to be exhausted. While the predominant local practice of the time was predicated on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A COLLECTION: CIRCLE

Dominique Pelletey

10 September 1992 - 10 October 1992
Opening Reception 10 September 1992 8pm

East Gallery: A Collection: Circle Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present an exhibition by Dutch artist Pelletey entitled A collection: Circle. This is Pelletey’s first solo exhibition in Toronto. Pelletey’s work is reminiscent of pictures in an anthropology textbook. The emphatic isolation and repetition of iconic elements (in this instance […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MOHAWKS IN BEEHIVES + OTHER WORK

Shelley Niro

Curated by Carol Podedworny

25 June 1992 - 25 July 1992
Opening Reception 25 June 1992 8pm

East Gallery: Mohawks in Beehives + Other Works Mercer Union is pleased to present the work of Brantford artist Shelley Niro in her first solo exhibition in Toronto. This exhibit deals with stereotyping and the need to be aware of it: to question what we keep and what we throw away.” – Shelley Niro Mohawks […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BARRIE JONES

Barrie Jones

Curated by Carol Podedworny

25 June 1992 - 25 July 1992
Opening Reception 25 June 1995 8pm

West Gallery : Barrie Jones West Gallery: Barrie Jones Mercer Union is pleased to present the work of Windsor artist Barrie Jones in his first solo exhibition in Toronto since 1982. In his work, Young Women and Young Men of Canada, Jones combines photographic portraiture with line drawings taken from classical antiquity to question notions […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RECENT WORKS

Barbara Claus

21 May 1992 - 20 June 1992
Opening Reception 21 May 1992 8pm

East Gallery:  Recent Works Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art is pleased to present the most recent photo based installation by Montreal artist, Barbara Claus. Barbara Claus’ previous installations have combined enlarged photographic details of funerary architecture with menacing, yet lyrical charcoal drawings executed on the wall. These drawings have often depicted plans for imaginary, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RECENT WORKS

Valerie Gill

21 May 1992 - 20 June 1992
Opening Reception 21 May 1992 8pm

West Gallery: Recent Works Installation Canadian Artist

PAST EXHIBITION

NEW SCULPTURE

John Francis

16 April 1992 - 16 May 1992
Opening Reception 16 April 1992 8pm

East Gallery: New Sculpture Mercer Union is pleased to present new sculptural works by Quebec artist John Francis. With the exhibition New Sculpture, John Francis continues his investigation of the physical and psychological dimensions of human transformation and evolution. Combining interests in alchemy, shamanism and contemporary science, Francis constructs sculptures suggesting instruments to be employed […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CASTING LIGHT, BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT

Michael Buchanan

16 April 1992 - 16 May 1992
Opening Reception 16 April 1992 8pm

West Gallery: Casting Light, Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt Mercer Union is pleased to present the installation, Casting Light, Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt by Toronto artist, Michael Buchanan. Incorporating wire structures, backlit images and projected lights, Buchanan’s installation recreates for the viewer the experience of standing before the Aurora Borealis. Concerned with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RETHINKING HISTORY

John Abrams, Stephen Andrews, Robert Houle, Sara Leydon, Edward Poitras, and Jane Ash Poitras

Curated by Carol Podedworny

12 March 1992 - 11 April 1992
Opening Reception 12 March 1992 8pm

East and West Galleries Rethinking History, curated by Carol Podedworny, brings together a group of artists whose work, whether concerned with issues of authority, expose, subjecthood, challenges the construction of the dominant History of the West. The artists participating in the exhibition are: John Abrams, Stephen Andrews, Robert Houle, Sara Leydon, Edward Poitras and Jane […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LA MAGASIN MONUMENTAL

Serge Murphy

6 February 1992 - 7 March 1992
Opening Reception 6 February 1992 8pm

West Gallery: Le Magasin Monutmental Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present an installation of recent works by Montreal artist, Serge Murphy. The installation, Le Magasin Monumental, is composed of mixed-media pieces, “reliefs au mur” constructed out of discarded materials (wire, weathered wood and stories) and installed on the wall among […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ENN ERISALU

Enn Erisalu

2 January 1992 - 1 February 1992
Opening Reception 2 January 1992 8pm

East Gallery: Enn Erisalu Mercer Union, A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings by Enn Erisalu. Referring to Cubism, Constructivism and the Italian Metaphysical school, Enn Elisalu’s previous paintings investigated the nature of illusion, optics and perception activated through abstraction. They addressed the contradictions of surface and depth, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IT WAS ONCE ABSTRACT

Michel Daigneault

2 January 1992 - 1 February 1992
Opening Reception 2 January 1992 8pm

West Gallery: It was once abstract MERCER UNION, A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings by Michel Daigneault. Originally a resident of Montreal, Daigneault presently resides in New York City. Michel Daigneaut’s work addresses the presumption of totality so often ascribed to abstract paintings both formally and philosophically. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JENNIE WHITE

Jennie White

14 November 1991 - 14 December 1991
Opening Reception 14 November 1991 8pm

East Gallery: Jennie White Jennie White’s paintings of a deforested landscape endeavor to effect language, to be sensual objects articulating emotions and thoughs. Yet there is no hand-wringing angst to these panoramas, rather a sort of sly stillness, or a stubborn patience that may or may not be justified. By merging elemental images with intensely […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MICHEL ARCHAMBAULT

Michel Archambault

14 November 1991 - 14 December 1991
Opening Reception 14 November 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Michel Archambault Archambault’s unexpected use of familiar materials such as upholstery vinyl contributes to the evocation of abstract, minimal concepts without obvious connection, identification, or identity. Archambault’s ironic inhabitation of these Minimalist tropes implies a consideration of materiality, presence and calls into question the hierarchy of values that the viewer brings to the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BORDER CROSSINGS

Carel Moiseiwitsch

10 October 1991 - 9 November 1991
Opening Reception 10 October 1991 8pm

East Gallery: Border Crossings Border Crossings is a bold new series of large scale drawings by Vancouver artist Carel Moiseiwitsch. Each of the grand black, white, and single tone triptychs represents a life threshold as well as a transition point — illegal or legitimate — a political or conceptual boundary, a zone where human rights […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IRIMI – AM I GONNA DIE?

Toby MacLennan

10 October 1991 - 9 November 1991
Opening Reception 10 October 1991 8pm

West Gallery: “IRIMI – Am I Gonna Die?” IRIMI “Am I gonna die”, is a new installation by Toby MacLennan. Drawing upon experiences arising from encounters with illness and death, MacLennan boldly and poetically conflates the feelings of loss and longing to nurture personal growth through self-awareness. Originally from the United States, Toby MacLennan now […]

PAST EXHIBITION

UNION LANGUAGE

Therése Bolliger/Colette Whiten, Robert Flack/Christian Morrison, Oliver Girling/Roland Jean, Ian Carr-Harris/Patricia Homonyo, Richard Banks/Tom Dean, Janice Gurney/Kim Maltman

Curated by Ihor Holubizky and Regan Morris

5 September 1991 - 5 October 1991
Opening Reception 5 September 1991 8pm

East and West Galleries: Union Language Mercer Union a centre for contemporary art is pleased to present, Union Language, an exhibition of collaborative works by a select group of Toronto artists. Union Language will include works by artists involved in contemporary design, architecture and visual art. Curator Ihor Holublzky and visual artist Regan Morris have […]

PAST EXHIBITION

POSTERITY – PINK FOR A GIRL

Alina Martiros

4 July 1991 - 3 September 1991
Opening Reception 4 July 1991 8pm

East Gallery: MEDIA RELEASE Mercer Union A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present an exhibition of works by Toronto artist Alina Martiros. This first solo exhibition by Alina Martiros will present recent figurative paintings and sculpture. Martiros works largely within the formal concerns of eastern European iconography and traditional Western oil painting. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RESIDUE

Kartz Ucci

4 July 1991 - 3 August 1991
Opening Reception 4 July 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Residue Mercer Union A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of an installation by Toronto artist Kartz Ucci. Kartz Ucci’s installations deal with the experience of being Italian-Canadian, of maintaining two identities, two cultures and two languages in a predominantly anglo environment. Ucci explores practices that […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MARTIN PEARCE

Martin Pearce

30 May 1991 - 29 June 1991
Opening Reception 30 May 1991 8pm

East Gallery: Martin Pearce Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art is pleased to present an exhibition of recent drawings and paintings by Toronto artist Martin Pearce. Pearce subtly layers images appropriated from such diverse sources as Venetian motifs and Chinese decoration. Pearce scrubs and scrapes the surfaces of his painting, forcing the original imagery to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

VIRAL LANDSCAPES

Helen Chadwick

30 May 1991 - 24 June 1991
Opening Reception 30 May 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Viral Landscapes Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art is pleased to present an exhibition of a photo based series by British artist Helen Chadwick entitled Viral Landscapes. This is Chadwick’s first solo exhibition in Toronto. The series consists of five large scale photographic montages, each 4′ high and 10′ long, displayed as a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAKING UP STORIES/FAIRE DES HISTOIRES

Annette Messager

18 April 1991 - 25 May 1991
Opening Reception 18 April 1991 6pm

East and West Galleries: Making up stories/Faire des histoires Mercer Union and Cold City Gallery, centres for contemporary art, collaboratively present a survey exhibition of Annette Messager’s work from 1972 to present. Annette Messager is an international artist whose work, history, methodology and concerns are pertinent to Canadian art and artists. Messager’s ironic humour unrelentingly […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CREATIVE DEVIGNS

Trevor Dawkins

14 March 1991 - 13 April 1991
Opening Reception 14 March 1991 8pm

East Gallery: Creative Devigns Rastafarian Trevor Dawkins’ vibrant, mandela-like tempera paintings incorporate praise for JAH and encouragement for humankind. Each vivid geometric design is an inspired mediation on the truth that joins a centre, through line and colour, to a higher source. Trevor Dawkins is a member of Kitchen Jahm, a multi-media artists’ collective. He […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SHELTER

Perry Bard

14 March 1991 - 13 April 1991
Opening Reception 14 March 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Shelter Artist talk Wednesday March 13, 8 pm New York artist Perry Bard combines eloquent use of materials with passionate concern for the plight of New York’s homeless. Her powerful sculptures and installations address a society that ignores and condemns its disenfranchised. Bard combines contemporary media (bronze, plexiglass, slide projections) with concrete blocks, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE SEVEN SISTERS

Mike MacDonald

7 February 1991 - 9 March 1991
Opening Reception 7 February 1991 8pm

East Gallery: The Seven Sisters Seven Sisters is a multi-screen video installation aligning video monitors to replicate the contour of the Seven Sisters mountains of British Columbia. The visual footage documents the grandeur of the landscape and the tragic impact of clear cut logging on the region. The sound track of drums and healing songs […]

PAST EXHIBITION

STEPHEN YEATES

Stephen Yeates

7 February 1991 - 9 March 1991
Opening Reception 7 February 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Stephen Yeates Stephen Yeates’ assemblages of Victorian Christian artifacts are haunting reminders of the missionary mind that measured, parcelled and sold the natural world. Yeates meticulously integrates his materials until they re-emerge as exquisite individual objects, each lost in its own gothic purgatory. His works comprise a poetic treatise on Death, Time, Memory, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LARGER THAN LIFE

Shonagh Adelman

3 January 1991 - 2 February 1991
Opening Reception 3 January 1991 8pm

East Gallery: Larger Than Life The women in Shonagh Adelman’s larger than life portraits are more than the labels given them: “femme,” “smart,” “special,” “fatale.” They may be frozen-like figures in a wax museum forced to adopt the limited roles of characters in a B movie, but their sheer visual presence belies the definitions ascribed […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MONSTERCHICK

Diane Gagné

3 January 1991 - 2 February 1991
Opening Reception 3 January 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Monsterchick Diane Gagné combines terms we take for granted–“sister,” for example– with everyday names for body parts to coin new terms of address such as “sisterhead.” For this installation, Gagne has constructed a curved wall ten by sixty feet in which the image of one of these idiomatic words occupies fifty running feet. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LOW TABLE : HIGH CHAIRS

Walter May

15 November 1990 - 15 December 1990
Opening Reception 15 November 1990 8pm

East Gallery: Low Table: High Chairs Opening Thursday November 15 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Union presents ‘Low Table: High Chairs,’ a new sculptural work by Calgary artist Walter May. Incorporating fabricated components with found and salvaged vernacular items, May’s recent work effects formal elegance, discretion and resonant significance. The combination of these elements with mass […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHISTLE REEL HOVER PLUCK PLUMMET FLICKER STIR

Paul Smith

15 November 1990 - 15 December 1990
Opening Reception 15 November 1991 8pm

West Gallery: Whistle Reel Hover Pluck Plummet Flicker Stir Montreal artist Paul Smith’s solo exhibition at Mercer Union, WHISTLE REEL HOVER PLUCK PLUMMET FLICKER STIR, opens on Thursday November 15 at 8:00pm and continues through to December 15. The artist will be exhibiting a number of large illustrative paintings that experiment with the existent relationship […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ANGELA GRAUERHOLZ

Angela Grauerholz

11 October 1990 - 10 November 1990
Opening Reception 11 October 1991 8pm

East and West Galleries: Angela Graurholz – Solo Exhibition A major solo exhibition of photographs by Montreal artist Angela Grauerholz opens in Mercer Union’s East and West Galleries Thursday October 11 at 8:00 pm and continues through to November 10. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in Toronto and will offer local audiences […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CELINE SURPRENANT

Céline Surprenant

6 September 1990 - 6 October 1990
Opening Reception 5 September 1990 8pm

West Gallery: Celine Suprenant Montreal artist Céline Surprenant’s painted artefacts present the viewer with the problematics of identity, seduction and intimacy. Balancing poetry and meaning with the rendering of the artefact she creates works of great simplicity. Her recent work is comprised of a series of monochromatic relief sculptures which refer to “personal objects” and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EXPEDITIONS

Janis Hoogstraten

6 September 1990 - 6 October 1990
Opening Reception 6 September 1990 8pm

East Gallery: Expeditions Opening Thursday September 6 at 8:00pm, Mercer Union presents an installation by Toronto artist Janis Hoogstraten entitled Expeditions. Involved primarily with the interaction between remembered image and verbal text, Hoogstraten’s recent works investigate the influence of one image on another. The juxtaposition of related and seemingly unrelated images and ideas illustrate shifts […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DISCORDIA CONCURS

David Blatherwick, David McClyment, Natalie Olanick, David Sylvestre

Curated by Andy Fabo

28 June 1990 - 28 July 1990
Opening Reception 28 June 1990 8pm

East and West Galleries: Discordia Concurs DISCORDIA CONCORS presents paintings and drawings by four emerging artists from Toronto and Montreal: David Blatherwick, David McClyment, Natalie Olanick and David Sylvestre. Curated by Andy Fabo, this exhibition brings together these diverse works under the art historical term ‘discordia concors’. The term identifies a pictorial strategy of the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PRINTS 87/88/89/90

Julie Voyce

24 May 1990 - 23 June 1990
Opening Reception 24 May 1990 8pm

West Gallery: Prints 87/88/89/90 “Six months into making photo-etchings I was blackened by a thought: “Well cup-cake, this ls what happens when you’ve read the National Enquirer for ten years. A third of your life: Babying up on truth, as in bad collages peddled off as fact.” And you bet it has to be. Photographs […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE DREAMING

Tim Watkins

24 May 1990 - 23 June 1990
Opening Reception 24 May 1990 8pm

East Gallery: The Dreaming Tim Watkins, a native of Calgary currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, will exhibit a new multi-media installation entitled ‘The Dreaming.’ Opening in Mercer Union’s West Gallery Thursday May 24 at 8:00 pm, this exhibition represents the artist’s first solo exhibition in Toronto. Watkins’ installations are concerned with the tenuous relationship […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Recently Constructed Works

Lynda Gammon

19 April 1990 - 19 May 1990
Opening Reception 19 April 1990 8pm

East Gallery: Recently Constructed Works Opening Thursday April 19 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Union: A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents sculpture by Victoria artist Lynda Gammon. Victoria artist Lynda Gammon constructs sculptural assemblages that are developed through a complex process of building, rebuilding, constructing and destructing. Collaging together household debris she resists the preciousness […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MNEMOSYNE

June Clark-Greenberg

19 April 1990 - 19 May 1990
Opening Reception 19 April 1990 8pm

West Gallery: Mnemosyne Opening Thursday April 19 at 8:00pm, Mercer Union presents Mnemosyne, an exhibition of recent work by Toronto artist June Clark-Greenberg. The photo-etchings by Clark-Greenberg combine images of her own chlldhood and domestic life with archival photographs, documentlng the joy and pain of the Black experience in North America. Her solo exhibition at […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN MCKINNON

John McKinnon

15 March 1990 - 14 April 1990
Opening Reception 15 March 1990 8pm

East and West Galleries: John McKinnon Opening Thursday March 15 at 8:00 pm and continuing through to April 14, Mercer Union presents a major solo exhibition of works by Toronto sculptor John McKinnon. This exhibition, in both gallery spaces, offers Toronto audiences an opportunity to view an extensive selection of the artist’ s new sculptures […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NOTHING UP MY SLEEVE

Sarah Stevenson

8 February 1990 - 10 March 1990
Opening Reception 8 February 1990 8pm

West Gallery: Nothing Up My Sleeve Montreal artist Sarah Stevenson’s solo exhibition at Mercer Union takes the form of two related groups of sculptures collectively titled ‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’. These sculptural groupings of found objects and materials appear simultaneously fragile and indestructible, contemporary and historical, abstract and familiar. Employing non-traditional art materials to create […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LA VERITE FOLLE

Nicole Jolicoeur

8 February 1990 - 10 March 1990
Opening Reception 8 February 1990 8pm

EAST GALLERY: La Vérité Folle This recent body of work developed by Montreal artist Nicole Jolicoeur is one which undermines, through the use of drawing, the effect of reality and truth deriving from the ‘objective’ character of the photographic image. This work represents part of an ongoing investigation which concentrates on the ideas of Jean-Martin […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ALL AND NOTHING

Margaret May

4 January 1990 - 3 February 1990
Opening Reception 4 January 1990 8pm

East Gallery: All and Nothing Opening Thursday January 4 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Unions A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents a series of mixed media works by Calgary artist Margaret May. Margaret May will be presenting works from the Vignette Series, an intensely personal series that evokes images of memory, longing, sexuality, joy and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE HEART IS SITUATED IN THE CENTRE OF THE CHEST BECAUSE CONDITIONS ARE MORE TEMPERATE THERE

Lee Dickson

4 January 1990 - 3 February 1990
Opening Reception 4 January 1990 8pm

West Gallery: ‘The heart is situated at the centre of the chest because conditions are more temperate there’ Opening Thursday January 4 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Union: A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents sculpture by Toronto artist Lee Dickson. Lee Dickson’s installation, The heart…, combines humour and diversity in the form of thirty-six variously […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MICAH LEXIER: WALL MOUNTED SCULPTURES

Micah Lexier

16 November 1989 - 16 December 1989
Opening Reception 4 November 2023 12am

East & West Gallery: Wall-Mounted Sculptures Micah Lexier’s solo exhibition continues his investigation into the subject of masculinity and the processes involved in the construction of the adult male consciousness. Part of a touring exhibition entitled “To The Touch”, these works, produced within the last fifteen months, represent an extension of the issues presented in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ISLAND

Martha Townsend

12 October 1989 - 11 November 1989
Opening Reception 4 October 2023 12am

West Gallery: Island In a new series of works, Martha Townsend moves towards a less narrative, more abstract mode than her past work. Townsend’s sculpture is characterized by a solemn tension, a dramatic sparseness and a striking material presence. Favouring elemental materisls, such as wood, metal and stone, her vocabulary of forms has also included […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FRAGMENTS

Marcel Gosselin

12 October 1989 - 11 November 1989
Opening Reception 4 October 2023 12am

East Gallery Fragments Manitoban artist Marcel Gosselin creates environments which explore the genetic and cultural elements of change, the unpredictable and yet constant evolution and recycling of nature. In his solo exhibition at Mercer Union entitled ‘Fragments’, Gosselin will incorporate building materials with the natural materials usually employed in his work, such as twigs, grass, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

KAWAMATA: TORONTO PROJECT 1989

Tadashi Kawamata

7 September 1989 - 7 October 1989
Opening Reception 4 September 2023 12am

Inside and Outside the Gallery: KAWAMATA Toronto Project 1989 Leading Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata has been invited by Mercer Union to create his first project in Canada – an outdoor public installation to be realized in the centre of downtown Toronto this summer. Concurrent with the completion of this project in early September 1989, the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HOMOGENIUS

Stephen Andrews, Alan Belcher, David Buchan, Andy Fabo, Robert Flack, General Idea, Micah Lexier, Ian McKinnon, Wrik Mead, Regan Morris, David Rasmus

22 June 1989 - 22 July 1989
Opening Reception 22 June 1989 8pm

East & West Galleries: Homogenius Recent works by gay artists in Toronto: Stephen Andrews, Richard Banks, Alan Belcher, David Buchan, Andy Fabo, Robert Flack, General Idea, Micah Lexier, Ian McKinnon, Wrik Mead, Regan Morris, David Rasmus Opening Thursday June 22, 8:00 pm at Mercer Union is an exhibition of recent works by 14 gay artists […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SELECTED WORKS

Yaron Berent, Suzanne Gauthier, Donald Lawrence, Doborah Margo, Ross Racine, and Curtis Wehrfritz

18 May 1989 - 17 June 1989
Opening Reception 18 May 1989 8pm

East & West Galleries: Selected Works Mercer Union Presents an exhibition of selected works by six artists from across Canada: Yaron Berent, Suzanne Gauthier, Donald Lawrence, Doborah Margo, Ross Racine, and Curtis Wehrfritz. Selected Works continues in both Mercer Union’s East and West Galleries through Saturday June 17. Although working in a variety of media, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MIXED VIEWS

Christopher Combs

13 April 1989 - 13 May 1989
Opening Reception 13 April 1989 8pm

East Gallery: Mixed Views Images drawn from his immediate experiences and environment inform the work of emerging Toronto painter Christopher Combs. For his solo exhibition at Mercer Union, Mixed Views, the artist will include six large interlocking multi-paneled canvases with collage elements. Drawing on the concerns and insights of artists such as Van Eyck, Courbet, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DOUG BUIS

13 April 1989 - 13 May 1989
Opening Reception 13 April 1989 8pm

West Gallery: Doug Buis Opening Thursday April 13 at 8:OO pm, Mercer Union presents recent kinetic sculptures by Montreal artist Doug Buis. Using machines and electronic components with natural and symbolic elements, Buis creates sculptures which examine our relationship with technology. For this exhibition at Mercer Union, two pieces will be included. One incorporates materials […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MARY SCOTT: RECENT PAINTINGS

Mary Scott

Curated by Bruce Grenville

16 March 1989 - 8 April 1989
Opening Reception 16 March 1989 8pm

East & West Galleries: Mary Scott: Recent Paintings Calgary artist Mary Scott has exhibited extensively throughout Western Canada since 1979. Opening Thursday March 16 at 8:00 pm and continuing through Saturday April 8, this exhibition at Mercer Union represents the artist’s first solo exhibition in Toronto. Curated by Bruce Grenville for the Southern Alberta Art […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAYS & LIVES

Cecily Moon

9 February 1989 - 11 March 1989
Opening Reception 9 February 1989 8pm

East Gallery: Days and Lives This exhibition brings together two bodies of works on paper by Elora, Ontario artist Cecily Moon. All of the drawings and watercolours on exhibition have been approached with a similar focus: all form part of an investigation into how mental processes which normally evade our conscious evaluation, operate within the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RED-BLUE WORKS

Gerard Päs

9 February 1989 - 11 March 1989
Opening Reception 9 February 1989 8pm

West Gallery: Red-Blue Works For this solo exhibition at Mercer Union, London, Ontario artist Gerard Päs draws on both his early childhood experiences of being handicapped and his interest in the early 20th century art movements – De Stijl, Neo-Plasticism, Suprematism and Constructivism. Disassembling and transforming the familiar ambulatory aids, crutches and wheelchairs, he creates […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NANCY KEMBRY: RECENT PAINTINGS

Nancy Kembry

5 January 1989 - 4 February 1989
Opening Reception 5 January 1989 8pm

East Gallery: Nancy Kembry: Recent Painting Opening Thursday January 5 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Union: A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents recent still life paintings by Toronto artist Nancy Kembry. Although Kembry has exhibited in Toronto since 1982, this exhibition at Mercer Union represents the artist’s first major solo exhibition. Kembry’s still life paintings […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INHERITANCE

Josh Garber

5 January 1989 - 4 February 1989
Opening Reception 5 January 1989 8pm

West Gallery: Inheritance Opening Thursday January 5 at 8:00 pm, Mercer Union: A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents a multi-media installation by Josh Garber, an emerging artist who has recently settled in Toronto. This exhibition at Mercer Union will offer local audiences an introduction to this young artist’s work. For this exhibition, Garber is […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAKING SPACE

Suzanne Lacy, Susan McEachern, Frances Robson, Honor Kever Rogers

Curated by Joan Borsa

15 November 1988 - 10 December 1988
Opening Reception 15 November 1988 8pm

East & West Galleries: Making Space In MAKING SPACE, curator Joan Borsa brings together photographic installations by four women artists from varying regions of Canada and the United States who share an exploration of women’s perceived and actual social space. The work of these four artists, Suzanne Lacy, Susan McEachern, Frances Robson and Honor Kever […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RE-COUNT: THE WORLD ECONOMIC SUMMIT OF THE ADVANCED INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES AS POETIC DOCUMENT

Bill Leeming

11 October 1988 - 5 November 1988
Opening Reception 11 October 1988 8pm

East Gallery: Re-Count: The World Economic Summit of the Advanced Industrialized Countries as Poetic Document Mercer Union: A Centre for Contemporary Visual Art presents a solo exhibition by Toronto artist Bill Leeming. Leeming has developed an installation with text, photographs and video based on the background, proceedings ahd outcome of the 1988 World Economic Summit […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BAIA DE COCHINOES/BAY OF PIGS

Ron Benner

11 October 1988 - 5 November 1988
Opening Reception 11 October 1988 8pm

West Gallery: Baia de Cochinoes/Bay of Pigs The mixed media photographic installations of London Ontario artist Ron Benner frequently utilize two basic devices, black and white photo-murals and one or more real objects on the floor. Baia de Cochinos/ Bay of Pigs, his installation at Mercer Union, incorporates photographs taken in Playa Larga, Bay of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MIRAGE MEMORY

François Vaillancourt

6 September 1988 - 1 October 1988
Opening Reception 6 September 1988 8pm

East Gallery: Mirage of Memory As part of the 1988 Artist Studio Project, Francois Vaillancourt’s solo exhibition will open in Mercer Union’s East Gallery Tuesday September 6th at 8:00 pm and continue through Saturday October 1st. Creating a dialogue between painting and photography, Montreal artist François Vaillancourt explores the relationship between the images produced by […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INDOOR LIGHTING FOR MY FATHER

Jessica Stockholder

6 September 1988 - 1 October 1988
Opening Reception 6 September 1988 8pm

West Gallery: Indoor lighting for my Father As part of the 1988 Artist Studio Project, Jessica Stockholder’s solo exhibition will open in Mercer Union’s West Gallery Tuesday September 6th at 8 pm and continue through Saturday October 1st. Combining construction materials and found objects, Jessica Stockholder creates large-scale installations in response to architectural spaces. A […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAN E. HUDSON

Dan E. Hudson

28 June 1988 - 23 July 1988
Opening Reception 28 June 1988 8pm

Easy Gallery: Dan E. Hudson: Paintings Opening June 28th, Mercer Union will present a solo exhibition of recent figurative paintings by Dan E. Hudson, an emerging Toronto artist. Through the use of painterly devices, Hudson explores the contextual relationship of commonplace activities and situations, attempting to alienate these from the everyday world. His large oil […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FOREST MODELS OF THE UNIVERSE

Janis Bowley and Oliver Kellhammer

28 June 1988 - 23 July 1988
Opening Reception 28 June 1988 8pm

West Gallery: Forest Models of the Universe Opening June 28th at Mercer Union, Forest Models of the Universe presents collaborative installations by Toronto artists Janis Bowley and Oliver Kellhammer. Both artists are concerned with the relationship between our regional ecological foundation and cultural production. In this exhibition, Bowley and Kellhammer focus on the intrinsic ecological […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BELIEF STRCUTURE

Stephen Andrews, Alan Belcher, Carlo Cesta, Nadine Chan, Shelagh Keeley, Carol Martyn and Fastwürms (Napoleon Brousseau, Kim Kozzi, Dai Skuse)

Curated by Andy Fabo

31 May 1988 - 25 June 1988
Opening Reception 31 May 1988 8pm

East & West Galleries: Belief Structure Belief Structure brings paintings, drawings and sculptural installation by nine local artists: Stephen Andrews, Alan Belcher, Carlo Cesta, Nadine Chan, Shelagh Keeley, Carol Martyn and the collaborative group FASTWURMS (Napoleon Brousseau, Kim Kozzi and Dai Skuse). Toronto painter Andy Fabo has curated this exhibition in response to what he […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LORNA SIMPSON

Lorna Simpson

3 May 1988 - 28 May 1988
Opening Reception 3 May 1988 8pm

East Gallery: Lorna Simpson Lorna Simpson has established herself as one of the more controversial female artists working in photography in the United States. In her work, Simpson focuses on the relationship between an audience’s collective interpretation of photographic imagery and photography as a descriptive tool. Using large-scale images, she presents the viewer with a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

VITRINE 448

Jamelie Hassan

3 May 1988 - 28 May 1988
Opening Reception 3 May 1988 8pm

West Gallery: Vitrine 448 For this solo exhibition at Mercer Union, Jamelie Hassan will present an installation with an accompanying bookwork. Hassan’s work has been characterized by a personal investigation and expression of global concerns: cultural displacement, political strife, political injustice, and social conscience. In vitrine 448she focuses on aspects of colonialism and patriarchy within […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SUPPORTING MEASURES

29 March 1988 - 23 April 1988
Opening Reception 29 March 1998 8pm

East & West Galleries: Supporting Measures Presented in Mercer Union’s East and West gallery spaces, this solo exhibition will feature the work of acclaimed West German artist Eberhard Bosslet. Bosslet is the recent winner of the prestigious 1987 Bremer Artprize, one of the highest awards honouring the work of West German artists. Supporting Measures, his […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CATHERINE CARMICHAEL

1 March 1988 - 26 March 1988
Opening Reception 1 March 1988 8pm

Catherine Carmichael Catherine Carmichael’s solo exhibition at Mercer Union will include two freestanding mixed-media sculptures and one large-scale wall relief. Consisting of found objects and discarded building materials, Carmichael’s work on exhibition reveals an approach to sculpture which is both additive and intuitive. Themes concerned with the processes of growth, transformation and decay are intrinsic […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INDUSTRIAL ZONE

Peter MacCallum

1 March 1988 - 26 March 1988
Opening Reception 1 March 1988 8pm

Industrial Zone Peter MacCallum’s solo exhibition Industrial Zone is a photographic installation about the now abandoned Massey-Harris-Ferguson factory complex in downtown Toronto. The installation will be based on MacCallum’s own architectural photographs of the plant taken in 1986, and will also include archival photographs, aerial survey photos, images from the company’s promotional material and film […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HORROR VACUI

Gregory Ball, Denise Malis, Martin Pearce and Kate Wilson

Curated by Andy Fabo and Ben Walmsly

2 February 1988 - 27 February 1988
Opening Reception 2 February 1988 8pm

East & West Galleries: Horror Vacui Horror Vacui presents works on paper and canvas by four young artists, Gregory Ball, Denise Malis, Martin Pearce and Kate Wilson, who share a similar pictorial vision of the world; a vision characterized by continual transformation, complexity, chaos and a dense saturation of elements. Their, common approach to the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

STILL LIFE

Sheila Ayearst

5 January 1988 - 30 January 1988
Opening Reception 5 January 1998 8pm

East Gallery: Still Life STILL LIFE, an exhibition of recent painting and photograph juxtapositions by Toronto artist Sheila Ayearst, opens at Mercer Union Tuesday, January 5 and continues through January 30. In describing her work, the artist writes: When paintings and photographs are abutted, a confrontation develops between their two very different presentations of reality. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

HOWARD LONN

Howard Lonn

5 January 1988 - 30 January 1988
Opening Reception 5 January 1988 8pm

West Gallery: Howard Lonn Opening January 5, and continuing through January 30, Mercer Union will present a solo exhibition by Howard Lonn. The exhibition will consist of six large-scale oil paintings completed over the past two years. Executed with raw, textured brushwork, Lonn’s work focuses upon the dialectic between the surface of the painting and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JACK JEFFREY

Jack Jeffrey

17 November 1987 - 12 December 1987
Opening Reception 17 November 1987 8pm

East Gallery: Jack Jeffrey From November 17 through December 12, Mercer Union will be presenting a solo exhibition by Toronto artist Jack Jeffrey. In describing his installation, the artist writes: “The installation will consist of elements that are placed in proximity to one another; these elements consist of recognizable and unrecognizable signs which in the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DEAR CATHARINE

Caroline Simmons

17 November 1987 - 12 December 1987
Opening Reception 17 November 1987 8pm

West Gallery: Dear Catharine A sculptural installation by Caroline Simmons entitled Dear Catharine will open at Mercer Union on Tuesday November 17, and continue through December 12. In describing her installation, the artist writes: The work speaks of changes which have taken place over many years on an area of land on the Niagara Peninsula […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TASK-ORIENTED SCULPTURES

Mowry Baden

Curated by André Jodoin

13 October 1987 - 7 November 1987
Opening Reception 13 October 1987 8pm

East & West Galleries: Task-Oriented Sculptures Press Release Mowry Baden has been producing experimental work in the area of sculpture since 1965. Baden is perhaps best known for his ‘envelope spaces’, a genre which he describes as “alternative spaces that function within the confines of a conventional gallery yet envelope the visitor in a self-contained […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTIST STUDIO PROJECT: THE ENCHANTED CITY

Ian Smith-Rubenzahl

8 September 1987 - 3 October 1987
Opening Reception 8 September 1987 8pm

West Gallery: Artist Studio Projects: The Enchanted City Within the gallery setting Ian Smith-Rubenzahl has created a metaphoric view of the city. The artist presents the viewer with a suggestion of the ideal city. Through the use of painted imagery and spoken text, The Enchanted City establishes a point of departure from the uniform experience […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTIST STUDIO PROJECT: MACHADO IVENS

Machado Ivens

8 September 1987 - 3 October 1987
Opening Reception 8 September 1987 8pm

East Gallery: Artist Studio Project: Machado Ivens Over the past month Brazilian artist Ivens Machado has fabricated new sculptural works using concrete and steel rods for the Artist Studio Projects. In keeping with artistic concerns that have developed since the early 1970’s, Machado incorporates rich pigmentation and organic forms. “I do not aspire to the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAN IS ONLY THE SHADOW OF A DREAM

Jack Butler

14 July 1987 - 8 August 1987
Opening Reception 14 July 1987 8pm

East Gallery: Man is Only the Shadow of a Dream Winnipeg artist Jack Butler’s exhibition Man is Only the Shadow of a Dream is a multi-media installation. Incorporating materIa1s such as vinyl, silk tissue, foamcore and steel, the work will be largely composed of multiple two-dimensional, free-standing and cut-out figures from pop cultures such as […]

PAST EXHIBITION

I AM HERE

Sylvie Bélanger

14 July 1987 - 8 August 1987
Opening Reception 14 July 1987 8pm

West Gallery: I Am Here Sylvie Belanger’s multi-media environment entitled I AM HERE unites architectural structures, sound and video in order to draw the viewer into a discourse on the individual’s relationship to space and time. The installation is composed of architectural structures which extend themselves by projection, onto walls coveted by architectural representations. Integrate […]

PAST EXHIBITION

IEN LUCAS

Ien Lucas

16 June 1987 - 11 July 1987
Opening Reception 16 June 1987 8pm

West Gallery: Ien Lucas This exhibition of recent painting by visiting Dutch artist Ien Lucas are an extension of pieces made during her residence at the Banff Centre in 1985/1986. In these works the artist combines the language of figurative painting with the formal approach of abstract painting. Reducing this analysis to a specific painting […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PORTRAIT FAÇADE

Anna-Marie Cobbold

16 June 1987 - 11 July 1987
Opening Reception 16 June 1987 8pm

East Gallery: Portrait Façade Anna-Marie Cobbold’s recent works are a compilation of charcoal, oil pastel, and acrylic and oil paint on linen and cardboard. They are a summation of ideas and images associated with her immediate surroundings in urban Toronto, and a recent trip to Australia. Cobbold’s images arise from a confrontation with real-life experience, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE PALACE OF THE QUEEN

Corrine Corry

Curated by Liz Magor

12 May 1987 - 6 June 1987
Opening Reception 12 May 1987 8pm

East Gallery: The Palace of the Queen This exhibition consists of two separate installations. Central to both is technology familiar to the viewer: cameras, television monitors, telephone answering machines, all equipment easy to acquire and use, yet which serve to represent us in various capacities. Accepting this as a legitimate offer of representation, the artists […]

PAST EXHIBITION

nO fiXeD aDdrESs

Joey Morgan

Curated by Liz Magor

12 May 1987 - 6 June 1987
Opening Reception 12 May 1987 8pm

West Gallery: nO fiXeD aDdrESs, This exhibition consists of two separate installations. Central to both is technology familiar to the viewer: cameras, television monitors, telephone answering machines, all equipment easy to acquire and use, yet which serve to represent us in various capacities. Accepting this as a legitimate offer of representation, the artists contrive situations […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LA VIDA LOCA

Wendy Coad

7 April 1987 - 2 May 1987
Opening Reception 7 April 1987 8pm

East Gallery: La Vida Loca “Holy Cow, I just about landed on my keister when I found out that the livingroom gig was actually going ahead. At first I thought this flapjaw was just another ear-banger, after all the business is lousy with them. As it turned out, I was wrong, the dude was on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LES VÉRITÉS MISES EN ECHEC

Ginette LeGaré

7 April 1987 - 2 May 1987
Opening Reception 7 April 1987 8pm

West Gallery: Les Vérités Mises en Echec Currently residing in Toronto, Quebec City artist Ginette Legare is exploring the act of representation in her most recent series of sculpture. This exhibition consists of four interrelated wall and floor constructions, made from aged slate tiles. Legare has confronted the medium, embracing the physicality and luxury of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TEMPORAL ICONS

Robert Bowers, Magdalen Celestino, Dyan Marie, Svitlana Muchin, John McKinnon, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Judith Schwarz, Irene Xanthos, Shirley Yanover and Carol Moppett

3 March 1987 - 28 March 1987
Opening Reception 3 March 1987 8pm

East & West Galleries: Temporal Icons TEMPORAL ICONS, a two-gallery sculpture exhibition, will open at Mercer Union and A.R.C. on Tuesday, March 3, 1987. Co-ordinated by Shirley Yanover, Temporal Icons will address the concerns of contemporary abstraction in new work by Toronto sculptors Robert Bowers, Magdalen Celestino, Dyan Marie, Svitlana Muchin, John McKinnon, Reinhard Reitzenstein, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Janice Gurney, Elizabeth McaKenzie and Arlene Stamp

3 February 1987 - 28 February 1987
Opening Reception 3 February 1987 8pm

East & West Galleries: Acknowledgements Acknowledgements is the result of a two year collaboration between Toronto artists Janice Gurney, Elizabeth MacKenzie and Arlene Stamp. During this time, ideas, techniques and source materials were freely exchanged in an attempt to examine and question the boundaries of an individual artist’s creative process. The works in this exhibition […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MORE

Robert Youds

31 January 1987
Opening Reception 31 January 1987 8pm

East Gallery: More In describing his work, Robert Youds comments, “Our post-modern culture is one of exaggeration. Exaggeration of the real is the subject of my art. My paintings are of an abstract construct which employs as stratagem repetition and cultural signifier. They exist as similitude to actual observation, determined from the public realm of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SU SCHNEE

​Su Schnee

6 January 1987 - 31 January 1987
Opening Reception 6 January 1987 8pm

West Gallery: Su Schnee An exhibition of recent large-scale, mixed-media works on paper by Montreal artist Su Schnee will open at Mercer Union on Tuesday, January 6 at 8:00 p.m. Su Schnee’s striking and evocative imagery falls within the parameters of two classical themes: landscape and portrait. For the artist these two themes represent the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DARK/LIGHT

Judith Barry, James Coleman and Rebecca Garrett

Curated by Elke Towne

11 November 1986 - 13 December 1986
Opening Reception 11 November 1986 8pm

Project Installations: Dark/Light Dark/ Light, an international exhibition featuring projection installations by Judith Barry, James Coleman and Rebecca Garrett, will open at Mercer Union Tuesday, November 11, 1986. Organized for Mercer Union by independent curator Elke Town, Dark/Light will feature the work of three artists concerned with the nature and effect of photographic and filmic […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WYN GELEYNSE

Wyn Geleynese

7 October 1986 - 1 November 1986
Opening Reception 7 October 1986 8pm

Film Installations: A solo exhibition of film installations by London, Ontario artist Wyn Geleynse will open at Mercer Union on Tuesday, October 7 at 8:00pm. Wyn Geleynse will be exhibiting six projection installations, three of which were produced in 1986. These installations consist of viewer-activated 16mm film loops projected either onto or into tableaux (which […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RICHARD BANKS

7 October 1986 - 1 November 1986
Opening Reception 4 October 2023 12am

Paintings: Richard Banks On Tuesday, October 7 at 8:00 p.m. a solo exhibition of paintings by Toronto artist Richard Banks will open at Mercer Union. Richard Banks’ recent works have developed out of a series of oil paintings which he has been working on over the past twelve months. Banks’ paintings, originally biologically based in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ATTILA RICHARD LUKACS and CHARLES REA

Attila Richard Lukacs and Charles Rea

9 September 1986 - 4 October 1986
Opening Reception 9 September 1986 8pm

Paintings: Attila Richard Lukacs Charles Rea On September 9th at 8:00 p.m., two solo exhibitions of paintings by Vancouver artists Attila Richard Lukacs and Charles Rea will open at Mercer Union. Although Attila Richard Lukacs and Charles Rea have been exhibiting their work in Vancouver for several years, they are especially recognized for their participation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPECTRUM ZURICH

Luigi Archetti, Matthias Bosshart, Lucia Coray, Olivia Etter, Marc-Antoine Fehr, Barbara Hée, Andreas Hofer, Dieter Leuenberger, Carlos Matter, Eva Stürmlin, Uwe Wittwer, Cecile Wick

Curated by Elisabeth Grossman, Henry F. Levy, Hans Peter Marti and Martin Pauli

16 August 1986 - 6 September 1986
Opening Reception 16 August 1986 8pm

Spectrum Zurich Spectrum Zurich, a group exhibition featuring work by twelve emerging Swiss artists, will open at Mercer Union and Grunwald Gallery on Saturday August 16 from I pm to 5 pm and will continue through September 6, 1986. The twelve participating artists represent a diverse cross-section of the contemporary art scene in Zurich. The […]

PAST EXHIBITION

POMPEII NOW

Regan Morris

15 July 1986 - 9 August 1986
Opening Reception 15 July 1986 8pm

East Gallery: Pompeii Now: Living in the Shadow of the Big Meat Pompeii Now: Living in the Shadow of the Big Meat, an installation by emerging Toronto artist Regan Morris will be on display at Mercer Union July 15 through August 9. Presented as a mini-series, Pompeii Now consists of two main sculptures, Black Comet […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BALLAST

​Ken Bray​

15 July 1986 - 9 August 1986
Opening Reception 15 July 1986 8pm

West Gallery: Ballast Mercer Union presents an exhibition of sculpture and related drawings by Toronto artist Ken Bray. Ballast opens on Tuesday July 15 at 8:00pm and continues through August 9, 1986. Ballast refers to counterweight and is employed figuratively and metaphorically in Bray’s work. It also signifies “a sense of accumulation of man’s abilities […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE VAN

Fred Douglas

11 July 1986 - 31 July 1986
Opening Reception 4 July 2023 12am

Harbourfront Sculpture Court: The Van Continuing in our series of satellite projects, Mercer Union is sponsoring an installation by Vancouver artist Fred Douglas. Located at the Harbourfront Sculpture Court, The Yan will open on Friday July 11 at 5:30 p.m. The artist will be present for the opening. The installation will be-on view through July […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THOMAS HELLINGER and DORIS TITZE

Thomas Hellinger and Doris Titze

14 June 1986 - 28 June 1986
Opening Reception 14 June 1986 8pm

Studio Exhibition: A studio exhibition sponsored by Mercer Union featuring work by two visiting German artists, Thomas Hellinger and Doris Titze, will open June 14 and continue to June 28. Having received a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the period of September 1985 to June 1986, Thomas Hellinger and Doris Titze […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OBJECTHOOD: A DICOTOMY

Randy Anderson and Alan Storey

Curated by Daina Augaitis

10 June 1986 - 5 July 1986
Opening Reception 10 June 1986 8pm

Objecthood: A Dicotomy Co-sponsored by Open Space Gallery, Victoria Objecthood: A Dichotomy, an exhibition featuring the work of Vancouver artists Randy Anderson and Alan Storey will open at Mercer Union on June 10 at 8 pm. The exhibition will continue through July 5, 1986. Since Duchamp, artists have been compelled to continue an investigation into […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PROJECT/DIMENSIONS

David Bate, John Ide, Danica Jojich, Barrie Jones, Gwen MacGregor, Brian Scott, Cynthia Short, Helen Underwood.

26 May 1986 - 7 June 1986
Opening Reception 26 May 1986 8pm

Off site: Project/Dimensions Mercer Union is sponsoring a two part satellite project of work by eight local artists. During May 26th to June 21st, art will literally and figuratively be put on the street using the venue of five Queen Street West storefronts. By using a commercial location, the artists intend to actively involve and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE INTERPRETATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE

Brigette Shim and Howard Sutcliffe, Steven Fong, General Idea, Marc Baraness, Tim Scott, Nolan Natale and Chris Brown, Blair Robins, Donald McKay, Renée Van Halm, James Brown and Kim Storey, Fred Urban

Curated by Janice Gurney, Andy Patton and Allan Tregebov

10 May 1986 - 31 May 1986
Opening Reception 10 May 1986 8pm

The Interpretation Of Architecture May 10 to May 31; Opening Saturday, May 10, noon to 6 pm. The artists and architects featured at Mercer Union include: Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe, Steven Fong; General Idea; Marc Baraness; Tim Scott, Nolan Natale and Chris Browne; Blair Robins; Donald McKay; Renee van Halm; James Brown and Kim […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAVID MACH

David Mach

10 April 1986 - 3 May 1986
Opening Reception 10 April 1986 8pm

East & West Galleries: David Mach A solo exhibition of sculpture and drawings by British artist David Mach will open at Mercer Union on April 10, 1986. While in Toronto, David Mach will create several site-related sculptures in both exhibition spaces, incorporating imported and locally manufactured materials. The materials are high profile objects in themselves […]

PAST EXHIBITION

INSIDE/OUTSIDE

Margaret Lawther

11 March 1986 - 5 April 1986
Opening Reception 11 March 1986 8pm

West Gallery: Inside/Outside This solo exhibition by Toronto artist Margaret Lawther features a sculpture installation consisting of a series of house fragments. These constructions are based on the image of the house as a metaphor for the human body or human cosmology. Each fragment represents a different part of one’s traditional sense of the house […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TRANSFERENCE

Therese Bolliger

11 March 1986 - 5 April 1986
Opening Reception 11 March 1986 8pm

East Gallery: Transference Transference is an exhibition of large works on paper by Toronto artist Therese Bolliger. The title of the exhibition not only refers to the term transference in a psychoanalytic context with its meaning of a trauma transferred from patient to analyst, but serves as an analogy to the changing connotations of forms […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EDWARD CURTIS

Edward Curtis

11 February 1986 - 8 March 1986
Opening Reception 11 February 1986 8pm

East Gallery: This exhibition at Mercer Union brings together a series of works by American photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952) executed in co-operation with the Kwakiutl Indians in British Columbia. The exhibition, comprised of approximately 25 photographs, represents a section of images excluded from Curtis’ twenty volume study, The North American Indians. The images were […]

PAST EXHIBITION

…ON BRITAIN’S DOORSTEP

Stephen Short

11 February 1986 - 8 March 1986
Opening Reception 11 February 1986 8pm

West Gallery: … On Britain’s Doorstep Drawing from personal documentation and experience, this exhibition by Montreal artist Stephen Shortt is concerned with the political situation in Northern Ireland, Shortt’s country of origin. Ranging from the purely objective to the intimate, diverging viewpoints are presented including that of a Belfast housewife. The exhibition features fourteen photomontages, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MARIANNE EIGENHEER

Marianne Eigenheer

Curated by Andreas Gehr

14 January 1986 - 8 February 1986
Opening Reception 4 January 2023 12am

Drawings: This exhibition features large drawings by Swiss artist Marianne Eigenheer from 1985, including one wall-drawing executed in situ, complemented by a selection of related works from 1977 to 1979. “The attitude of refusal in Marianne Eigenheer’s pictures implies a process of self-discovery. Mention has been made of the erotic allusions and underlying irony in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ALDO WALKER

Aldo Walker

Curated by Andreas Gehr

14 January 1986 - 8 February 1986
Opening Reception 14 January 1986 8pm

Works on Canvas: This solo exhibition by Swiss artist Aldo Walker features nine paintings, 160 cm x 120 cm, executed in acrylic on canvas. Concerned with analytic or semiotic philosophy, the paintings by Aldo Walker stand as illustrations of the dissonant relationship between the sign and the signified. Employing the impersonal character of the two-dimensional […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE CONSTANT VERTICAL

A Republic group show: Peter Bowyer, Betty Goodwin, Donna Mehaldo, Edward Pien, Cynthia Short, Johannes Zits

10 December 1985
Opening Reception 10 December 1985 8pm

THE CONSTANT VERTICAL opens the second season of exhibitions presented by REPUBLIC. The exhibition features drawing, painting and sculpture by six artists including PETER BOWYER, BETTY GOODWIN, DONNA MEHALKO, EDWARD PIEN, CYNTHIA SHORT and JOHANNES ZITS, whose work focuses on the human figure. The artists were invited to react to the suggestion that the artist […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BERLINER AUFZEICHNUNGEN (BERLIN NOTES)

Ricarda Fischer, Michael Morris, Joachim Peedk, Vincent Trasov, Yana Yo

Curated by Lorne Falk

12 November 1985 - 7 December 1985
Opening Reception 12 November 1985 8pm

Berliner Aufzeichnungen (Berlin Notes) Catalogue: Berliner Aufzeichnungen (Berlin Notes) published by The Walter Phillips Gallery and the Banff School of Fine Arts This exhibition features recent works on canvas and paper by five artists currently living in West Berlin, including two Canadians, Michael Morris and Vincent Trasov. “Berliner Aufzeichnungen” is intended to provide insight into […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SVITLANA MUCHIN

Svitlana Muchin

15 October 1985 - 9 November 1985
Opening Reception 15 October 1985 8pm

West Gallery: This solo exhibition features recent sculptures by Toronto artist Svitlana Muchin. Executed in plaster, the six works on exhibit incorporate both classical elements of balance and symmetry, combined with individual elements of diversity, deformity and mutation. “The sculptures are suggestive human torsos and animal heads. These works, developed through preliminary drawings, are an […]

PAST EXHIBITION

APPREHENSIONS

Stephen Hutchings

15 October 1985 - 9 November 1985
Opening Reception 15 October 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Apprehensions This solo exhibition features recent works by Stephen Hutchings, an artist currently residing in Banff, Alberta. The work in this exhibition, “Apprehensions”, presents four situations in which large, monumental figures directly confront the viewer. Executed in oil on canvas with minimal use of colour and a dark tonality, the full faced figures […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MICHAEL DAVEY

Michael Davey

17 September 1985 - 12 October 1985
Opening Reception 17 September 1985 8pm

West Gallery: This exhibition by Toronto artist Michael Davey will comprise a large wall, wood and plaster construction as well as twelve cast bronze and lead works. The works on exhibition are based on reflections from drawing, modelling, foundry processes, direct construction and travel. Underlying the making of the sculpture is an emphasis on the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FUTURE USE

Bernie Miller

17 September 1985 - 12 October 1985
Opening Reception 17 September 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Future Use This exhibition by Toronto artist Bernie Miller features installed sculpture. Using primarily industrial materials, the sculptural imagery is presented as a tableau combining references to “science fiction, speakers, ductwork, communications spectacle, antennae, the culture industry, archaic scientific apparati, disjecta membra, figures of hope, screens and building”. The artist’s previous work has […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTIST SUMMER STUDIO PROJECT: THE LAST WORD ON MAGIC

Christopher Crowder, Brent Roe Collaboration

13 August 1985 - 7 September 1985
Opening Reception 13 August 1985 8pm

East Gallery Artist Summer Studio Project: The Last Word in Magic This exhibition features a collaborative, multi-media installation by two Toronto artists, Brent Roe and Christopher Crowder. As part of Mercer Union’s Summer Studio Projects, over the past four weeks these artists have developed a walk-in drawing/painting using the floors, walls and ceilings of the […]

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ARTIST SUMMER STUDIO PROJECT: A COLUMN ON LOCATION

Spring Hurlbut

13 August 1985 - 7 September 1985
Opening Reception 13 August 1985 8pm

West Gallery: Artist Summer Studio Project: A Column on Location This exhibition features a hand plastered column created on location by Toronto artist Spring Hurlbut. As part of the summer studio project, Spring Hurlbut has developed her response to the interrelating conditions of the interior gallery space, the ambient light and an existing column over […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NICK BRDAR

Nick Brdar

18 June 1985 - 13 July 1985
Opening Reception 18 June 1985 8pm

East Gallery: This exhibition features large sculptures by Victoria artist Nick Brdar, involving cut-out and modeled images of bodily segments grafted on to structures and discarded consumer objects. The works on exhibition, entitled Stadium Arm, Assimilation of Light, Extended Face and Axe in the Head, are primarily executed in steel and fibreglass. “These four works […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HEADQUARTERS

Brian Scott

18 June 1985 - 13 July 1985
Opening Reception 18 June 1985 8pm

West Gallery & Off Site: Christopher Columbus Headquarters Toronto artist Brian Scott will erect a walk-in allegorical painting/relief within a tent. Entitled, “Christopher Columbus Headquarters”, this three part tent, approximately 24′ x 20′ x 10′, is made of canvas and entirely painted. The viewer walks in and is surrounded by ‘a depiction’ of Christopher Columbus […]

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QUEBEC ARTIST GROUP SHOW

Marie-Josée Begin, Sylvie Belanger, Ginette Legare, Maxime Rioux

21 May 1985 - 15 June 1985
Opening Reception 21 May 1985 8pm

East & West Galleries: This group exhibition features sculptures and installation works by four artists formerly from Quebec and currently living and working in Toronto. Marie-Josée Bégin‘s large steel constructions are concerned with the symbolic nature of geometric forms as found in crystals and organic elements. Executed in rough, unrefined steel, the hands-on industrial treatment […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN MCCARTNEY

John McCartney

23 April 1985 - 18 May 1985
Opening Reception 23 April 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Sculpture This exhibition by Toronto artist John McCartney will feature a series of large, robotic sculptures incorporating carved wood, industrial debris, found objects, production line pieces and welded, cast and painted metal. In these works, McCartney combines an inventive, toy-like playfulness with theatrical stage-like settings to create idealized images of urban life. John […]

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JOHN WILKINSON

John Wilkinson

23 April 1985 - 18 May 1985
Opening Reception 23 April 1985 8pm

West Gallery: This exhibition by Toronto artist John Wilkinson features a series of recent, large scale paintings concerned with the interior spaces of the artist’s studio. Through the study of light and atmosphere, his personal space is explored by the manipulation of the painterly surface. Colour seen is adapted and rendered across the surface to […]

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CHARLES RAY

Charles Ray

Curated by Robert Youds

26 March 1985 - 20 April 1985
Opening Reception 26 March 1985 8pm

West Gallery: Sculpture & Performance This exhibition by California artist Charles Ray will incorporate four geometric steel sculptures. These constructions are designed to reference various modes of domestic furniture and decorum but also have the potential to evoke ambiguous machine-like or industrial qualities. The parallel drawn with industrial machinery is enhanced during the performances by […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PARADISE POOLS

Stephen Schofield

26 March 1985 - 20 April 1985
Opening Reception 26 March 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Paradise Pools This exhibition by Montreal artist Stephen Schofield will feature an installation composed of four separate figurative sculptures. Employing numerous materials and eclectic and anachronistic elements, the heavy, imposing works are related both formally through a repetition of line, gesture and colour and through a common inversion of paradisical imagery. As the […]

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MOUNTAIN MY YES AND OTHER DENSITIES

​Allan MacKay​

26 February 1985 - 23 March 1985
Opening Reception 26 February 1985 8pm

West Gallery: Mountain My Yes and Other Densities This installation is a continuation of Allan MacKay’s work in recent years employing altered books. The process of altercation adapts the actual book to an object of high relief or sculpture through the actions of drawing, painting or folding. The inherent content of each book is made […]

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DISLOCATED SYMMETRIES FROM A WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS

Michael Balfe

29 January 1985 - 23 February 1985
Opening Reception 29 January 1985 8pm

West Gallery: Dislocated Symmetries From A Wilderness Of Mirrors This photo installation by Toronto artist Michael Balfe is concerned with generating dislocations of context and meaning relative to conventions of representation. Images of our public environment are isolated and reorganised into a segmented body, a fractured crucifix of broken language where syntax is deformed; beginning, […]

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MAN MAKES HIMSELF

Isaac Applebaum

29 January 1985 - 23 February 1985
Opening Reception 29 January 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Man Makes Himself This photo installation by Toronto artist Isaac Applebaum features three different bodies of work, which interact and interrelate to create an installation. Included are a series of 16″ x 20″ black and white Polaroid photographs taken in Toronto’s Chinatown district, a book, and photographs of classroom history notes relating to […]

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HOMUNCULUS

​Kim Moodie​

8 January 1985 - 26 January 1985
Opening Reception 8 January 1985 8pm

West Gallery: Homunculus Kim Moodie’s recent works on paper and canvas are concerned with a narrative use and development of symbols. His imagery is modeled on toys, book illustrations, and figurative engravings, such as those depicting primitive North American life. Emphasis is placed on the representation and context in which these figurative elements are situated. […]

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BEAST///BEAUTY

Gerard Pas

8 January 1985 - 26 January 1985
Opening Reception 8 January 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Beast///Beauty This exhibition of recent works by London artist, Gerard Pas, is concerned with the question of beauty, and revealing the varying tensions and disparities which underlie our perception of it. In this exhibition, the artist juxtaposes contrasting images of beauty and ugliness, pleasure and pain, and joy and grief. Composed of a […]

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STEVEN NELSON

Steven Nelson

8 January 1985 - 26 January 1985
Opening Reception 8 January 1985 8pm

East Gallery: Lithographs This exhibition features recent lithographs by Vancouver artist, Steven Nelson. His work is concerned with the popular digestion of culture, both the art historical and those products which touch everyday society. The prints follow in a progression, rather than a series. Stemming from a satirical/humanist view of ‘the follies of mankind’, they […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONSUMING WAR

Conrad Atkinson

Curated by Karl Beveridge

18 December 1984 - 22 December 1984
Opening Reception 18 December 1984 8pm

Works on Paper: Consuming War We live in a society based on consumption and increasingly, as Eisenhower warned in the fifties our military/industrial complex, is structuring what we consume and who consumes. We are not only being supplied with more objects, but we are being supplied with values and meanings. These objects are not to […]

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LIVING IN THE GRAY ZONE

Peter Dykhuis

Curated by Michael Balfe

20 November 1984 - 15 December 1984
Opening Reception 20 November 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Living in the Gray Zone The six paintings in this exhibition are in diptych and triptych format and are executed in encaustic. The works are titled as follows: “Display” “Simulated Picture” “Embellishing the Myth” “Systems of Checks and Balances” “Determining the Heresies” “Living in the Grey Zone” Peter Dykhuis was born in London, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LASZLO RÉVÉSZ and ANDRAS BÖRÖCZ

Laszlo Révész and Andras Böröcz

Curated by Nina Czegledy

20 November 1984 - 15 December 1984
Opening Reception 20 November 1984 8pm

East Gallery: Laszlo Révész and Andras Böröcz, two visiting artists from Budapest featured in this exhibition, express their concepts through a complex variety of art forms. Révész and Böröcz are concerned with working through principles common to the current global movement of performance art. The direction is one which attempts to revive the tradition of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

54/84 – HOMMAGE À GUIDO MOLINARI

Guido Molinari, Simon Cerigo, Nancy Smith, Marshal Hopkins, Barbara Reid, Anna-Marie Cobbold

Curated by Anna-Marie Cobbold

23 October 1984 - 17 November 1984
Opening Reception 23 October 1984 8pm

East & West Galleries: 54/84 – Hommage à Guido Molinari Early works on paper by the Canadian Formalist, Guido Molinari, will be on exhibit together with recent work by five of his former students. The visual discourse between these five artists, who share both a common formative background and the concerns of the new movement […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BIOLOGICAL METAPHORS

Orsola Drozdik

Curated by Judith Schwarz

25 September 1984 - 20 October 1984
Opening Reception 25 September 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Biological Metaphors This exhibition of paintings by New York artist Orsolya Drozdik is the third in a series which analyzes biological metaphors. The works of this series are specifically concerned with the double reality of, on the one hand, death, and on the other, all that we call nature – and the manifestation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CARMELO ARNOLDIN

​Carmelo Arnoldin

Curated by Judith Schwarz

25 September 1984 - 20 October 1984
Opening Reception 25 September 1984 8pm

East Gallery: Painting This exhibition features paintings by Toronto artist Carmelo Arnoldin. The imagery is derived from the artist’s childhood recollections and experiences of his birthplace, Revo, Ialy. Although the images are based on actual events, they are not concerned with factual illustration and descriptive reality. Devoid of unnecessary details and anecdotes, they concentrate on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE NEW CITY OF SCULPTURE

Peter Bowyer, Magdalen Clestino, Peter Cosco, Brian Groombridge, John McKinnon, Lee Paquette

Curated by David Clarkson and Robert Wiens

27 August 1984 - 22 September 1984
Opening Reception 27 August 1984 8pm

The New City of Sculpture Group exhibition in collaboration with YYZ; at Mercer Union: Peter Bowyer, Magdalen Celestino, Peter Cosco, Brian Groombridge, John McKinnon, Lee Paquette PRESS RELEASE From August 25 to September 22, the Toronto public will have the opportunity to view the largest exhibition of contemporary Toronto sculpture ever held, and the first […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MARSHA KENNEDY

Marsha Kennedy

24 July 1984 - 18 August 1984
Opening Reception 24 July 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Drawings This exhibition features works from two recent series of drawings by Toronto artist Marsha Kennedy. Both series reflect a concern with various opposing emotional and psychological states, concentrating on the themes of alienation, emotionality, detachment, isolation, hope and despair. The series of monochrome photo collage drawings on exhibit focus on the central […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SPROUTING HEAD

Gareth Fisher

24 July 1984 - 18 August 1984
Opening Reception 24 July 1984 8pm

East Gallery: Sprouting Head This exhibition features recent sculpture by the Scottish artist Gareth Fisher. Built in plaster using found material and objects, each piece is completed and resolved over a long period of time. The concerns of Gareth’s work are with contemporary issues and current affairs. These factors, however, are sometimes masked behind a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PAINTINGS BY THREE TORONTO ARTISTS

Dana Bentley​, Wendy Coad, ​Michael Merrill​

Curated by Peter Blendell and Rober Wiens

26 June 1984 - 21 July 1984
Opening Reception 26 June 1984 8pm

East & West Galleries: This exhibition at Mercer Union features paintings by three local artists who have received little exposure in Toronto. Collectively, the works represented here are concerned with the human figure. The individualistic expression and treatment of this common subject matter is a reflection of the strongly personal style each artist has developed […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONFUSED/SEXUAL VIEWS

16 June 1984 - 5 July 1984
Opening Reception 16 June 1984 8pm

PRESS RELEASE VIDEO INSTALLATION A FORUM FOR PUBLIC PROTEST Artculture Resource Centre, Art Metropole, The Funnel, Mercer Union, Music Gallery, YYZ, Impulse Magazine, Lacemakers Gallery, Video Inn, the Western Front and other organizations and individuals are pleased to announce their co-sponsorship for the world premiere exhibition of CONFUSED: PART II, THE INSTALLATION “SEXUAL VIEWS” by […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RECONSTITUTED ELEMENTS

Tom Nickson, Jerry Pethick, George Sawchuck, Buster Simpson

Curated by Daina Augaitis

29 May 1984 - 23 June 1984
Opening Reception 29 May 1984 8pm

East & West Galleries: Reconstituted Elements A group exhibition of sculptors from Vancouver and Victoria “RECONSTITUTED ELEMENTS”, an exhibition of sculpture bringing together the work of four west coast artists: TOM NICKSON, JERRY PETHICK, GEORGE SAWCHUK and BUSTER SIMPSON, will open at Mercer Union on May 29th and run until June 23rd. As part of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LUIGI GHIRRI

Luigi Ghirri

Curated by Isaac Applebaum

1 May 1984 - 26 May 1984
Opening Reception 1 May 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Luigi Ghirri Photography Luigi Ghirri and Gregor Curten at Mercer Union, 333 Adelaide St. W., to May 26. Globe and Mail John Bentley Mays Many artist’s these days, including these two Europeans, seem fascinated with imagery of all sorts – high and popular, kitsch and camp and classy – and with the ways […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GREGOR CÜRTEN

Gregor Cürten.

Curated by Judith Schwarz

1 May 1984 - 26 May 1984
Opening Reception 1 May 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Gregor Cürten Painting Luigi Ghirri and Gregor Curten at Mercer Union, 333 Adelaide St. W., to May 26. Globe and Mail John Bentley Mays Many artist’s these days, including these two Europeans, seem fascinated with imagery of all sorts – high and popular, kitsch and camp and classy – and with the ways […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ROBERT HAMON

​Robert Hamon

Curated by Arlene Berman

3 April 1984 - 28 April 1984
Opening Reception 3 April 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Robert Hamon Sculpture

PAST EXHIBITION

GORDON VOISEY

Gordon Voisey

Curated by Wendy Coad

3 April 1984 - 28 April 1984
Opening Reception 3 April 1984 8pm

East Gallery: Gordon Voisey Paintings

PAST EXHIBITION

80/1/2/3/4 TORONTO: CONTENT AND CONTEXT

Shelagh Alexander, John Brown, David Clarkson, Oliver Girling, Will Gorlitz, Nancy Johnson, Dyan Marie, Sandra Meigs, Stephen Menzies, Andy Patton, Jaan Poldaas, John Scott, Joanne Tod, Renée Van Halm, Robert Wiens

Curated by Richard Rhodes

6 March 1984 - 31 March 1984
Opening Reception 6 March 1984 8pm

East & West Galleries: Mercer Union is pleased to present the group exhibition: 80/1/2/3/4/ TORONTO Content/Context On exhibition will be the work of the following fifteen Toronto artists: Shelagh Alexander, John Brown, David Clarkson, Oliver Girling, Will Gorlitz, Nancy Johnson, Dyan Marie, Sandra Meigs, Stephen Menzies, Andy Patton, Jaan Poldaas, John Scott, Joanne Tod, Renee […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FOUR SCULPTURES

Ronald Brener

Curated by Robert Youds

14 February 1984 - 3 March 1984
Opening Reception 14 February 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Four Sculptures Roland Brener, presently a professor of art at the University of Victoria, B.C., will be presenting an exhibition of sculpture from February 14 to March 3, 1984. Brener worked as an artist in England and the U.S. prior to his arrival in Victoria. His work has been exhibited in Europe and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BILL WOODROW

Bill Woodrow

Curated by Michael Davey

14 February 1984 - 3 March 1984
Opening Reception 4 February 2023 12am

East Gallery: Bill Woodrow British artist Bill Woodrow will present an exhibition of sculpture from February 14 to March 3, 1984. Woodrow’s sculpture is a collection of remnants from our disposable society, presented back to us as contemporary narratives, alternately menacing and poetic. Tools used to produce the work are often products of the same […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NO NAME NIGHT: presented by The Ontario College of Art Experimental Arts

11 February 1984

PAST EXHIBITION

LE CRAYON SUR L’OREILLE

​Gilles Mihalcean

Curated by Peter Blendell

24 January 1984 - 11 February 1984
Opening Reception 24 January 1984 8pm

West Gallery: Le Crayon sur l’oreille Sculpture

PAST EXHIBITION

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK

Cathy Daley

Curated by John McKinnon

24 January 1984 - 11 February 1984
Opening Reception 24 January 1984 8pm

East Gallery: Turn the Other Cheek In this exhibition of new figurative work, Cathy Daley deals with the theme of communication and the effect of subjectivity on relationships and understanding. The artist explores the subject using different mediums and two distinct approaches: A series of portraits painted in oil with text and two large scale […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NEW PRESENTATION

Ron Haselden In Collaboration with 17 Montreal Artists: Sylvie Bélanger, Gail Bourgeois, René De Carufel, Normand Claveau, Marie-Andrée Côté, Richard Dubreuil, Tilya Helfield, Kathy Horner, Dzian Lacharité, Rosanne Lamarre, René Lemire, Jaquie L. Lupien,

Curated by Robert Youds

3 January 1984 - 21 January 1984
Opening Reception 3 January 1984 8pm

East & West Galleries: New Presentations Ron Haseldon is a British artist who is presently a visiting lecturer at Concordia University in Montreal. This exhibition is a new presentation of an exhibition presented at the Concordia University Art Gallery from December 8th to 21st, 1983. The following excerpts from an interview by Peter O’Brien with […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONVERGING COURSES

Terence Johnson

22 November 1983 - 17 December 1983
Opening Reception 22 November 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Converging Courses An installation entitled “Converging Courses” is a continuation of Terence Johnson’s interest in the second part of a 1982 installation entitled “Ship/Logs”, at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. Terence Johnson is particularly interested in the implied movement through space and time that can be achieved by merely pointing one end, and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NO ESCAPE

Michael Fernandes

22 November 1983 - 17 December 1983
Opening Reception 22 November 1983 8pm

West Gallery: No Escape “No Escape” a muti-media installation incorporates a series of photographs, slide projections, images on the floor and a series of objects within the gallery space. The artist presents in his exhibition “a situation to remind us that man’s own doing fuels his journey through a technocratic society.” “All we really wanted […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE CANADIAN GUILD

Jim Miller

1 November 1983 - 20 November 1983
Opening Reception 1 November 1983 8pm

East Gallery: The Canadian Guild Jim Miller’s installation entitled “The Canadian Guild” indirectly addresses the social-cultural environment by exploring two modes of representation; one, the gallery system, and the other, kitsch. The installation consists of his alteration of “The Canadian Guild” jigsaw puzzle series, as well as slides and puzzle boxes. The specific placement of […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RESPONSE

Greg Ludlow

1 November 1983 - 20 November 1983
Opening Reception 1 November 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Response London artist Greg Ludlow will present a series of large paintings and small drawings completed during the years of 1981-1983. Ludlow claims that the paintings and drawings in this exhibition are a part of his ongoing response to modern art. The presentation of work consists of a three dimensional organization of planes […]

PAST EXHIBITION

EXTENSIONS

Peter Kolisnyk

11 October 1983 - 29 October 1983
Opening Reception 11 October 1983 8pm

Drawings

PAST EXHIBITION

KAWARTHA

Jamie Lyons

11 October 1983 - 29 October 1983
Opening Reception 11 October 1981 8pm

Painting.

PAST EXHIBITION

LOCATIONS/NATIONAL

Peter Blendell, John Broere, Alan Glicksman, Gordon Lebredt, Dyan Marie, Robert Youds, Brad Golden

20 September 1983 - 8 October 1983
Opening Reception 20 September 1983 8pm

On & Offsite Locations/National: Toronto Segment Works for the Toronto segment of Locations/National have now been selected and installation will begin during the first week of September, 1983. The project offers the artists the opportunity to expose their work to a broad audience as all projects will be located outside the gallery in public spaces. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DRAWING ROOM BALLAD

Pierre Savatier

30 August 1983 - 17 September 1983
Opening Reception 30 August 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Drawing Room Ballad Pierre Savatier has been working for several years with photography, interested in the photographic object and how this object works in space and time. “The Point from which I start is a situation, an understanding which has nothing to do with events. To me a situation is a space and […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WHO’S COOL? (TRYING TO REACH YOU)

Richard Layzell

30 August 1983 - 17 September 1983
Opening Reception 30 August 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Who’s Cool? (Trying to Reach You): An exhibition on the move Richard Layzell was invited to Canada for an exhibition and a series of performances (August 30 September 17) by Mercer Union. This trip was made possible through the support of the Canada Council’s Visiting Foreign Artists Programme and the British Council. Mercer […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE PERILS OF TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY AND A CATALOGUE OF UNUSED SPACE: TWO PICTURE BOOKS

Gary Starks

21 August 1983
Opening Reception 21 August 1983 8pm

West Gallery: The Perils of Taking Things Personally and a Catalogue of Unused Space: Two Picture Books This exhibition is entitled The Perils of Taking Things Personally and a Catalogue of Unused Space: Two Picture Books. Five copies of each book will lay on a table with twenty-six additional pages from the books framed on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ET IN ARCADIA EGO

Ron Sandor

2 August 1983 - 21 August 1983
Opening Reception 2 August 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Et in Arcadia Ego Ron Sandor will be exhibiting an installation entitled Et in Arcadia Ego. The work depicts simple images which together conjure past and future references normally unrelated in a practical world. “The thing I like best about Hitchcock is not what he gives us, but what he leaves to the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PRIMARY CONCEPTIONS

Paul Jeremias

12 July 1983 - 30 July 1983
Opening Reception 12 July 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Primary Conceptions Paul Jeremias’ photographs come out of his interest in the correspondence between common places and theatrical stages. “In 1980 I began photographing architectural interiors such as lobbies and small private rooms in colour for their contrasting natural and illusory perspectives. The former was provided by the architectural setting, the latter by […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DEAN EILERTSON

Dean Eilertson

12 July 1983 - 30 July 1983
Opening Reception 12 July 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Sculptural Installation Dean Eilertson will be presenting installation “in progress” from July 12 – July 30, 1983. The initial construction of the sculpture will have begun prior to the July 12th opening, with Dean Eilertson continuing the installation process during the first 2 weeks of the exhibition. Black and white photographs mounted on […]

PAST EXHIBITION

WORK MADE IN UTICA N.Y.

Hannah Collins

21 June 1983 - 9 July 1983
Opening Reception 21 June 1983 8pm

East & West Galleries: Work Made in Utica N.Y. Hannah Collins’ multi-media installation includes works created in different industrial situations at varying times indicating a common experience which connects them. “Red Tables-Air” uses materials which are readily available and visible to create a series of light weight steel tables and other horizontal structures. The viewer […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE HOME

Susan McEachern

31 May 1983 - 18 June 1983
Opening Reception 31 May 1983 8pm

West Gallery: The Home The Home is comprised of forty 16×20 colour photographs of homes and forty 16×20 black and white photographs of text that are placed in relationship to each other. One side is a grid composed of photographs of real homes, and the other side, also in grid form, is a theoretical presentation […]

PAST EXHIBITION

AKIRA YOSHIKAWA

Akira Yoshikawa

31 May 1983 - 18 June 1983
Opening Reception 31 May 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Multimedia installation Akira Yoshikawa’s multi-media installation deals with “Spiritual Reasoning” and a desire to create a feeling of a “sacred area” for the duration of the installation. Born in 1949 in Hiroshima, Japan, he maintains an interest in Japanese heritage and philosophy, combined with the teachings of Formalism in North American art.

PAST EXHIBITION

BYE BRUNO AND OTHER STORIES OF THE YELLOW JACKET

John McKinnon

10 May 1983 - 28 May 1983
Opening Reception 10 May 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Bye Bruno and other stories of the Yellow Jacket John McKinnon will be exhibiting recent welded steel constructions from May 10 to May 28. The work depicts in a linear manner an open ended narrative that describes a location. “The things I build are a continuing series of steel constructions that relate to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JUDITH MANN

Judith Mann

10 May 1983 - 28 May 1983
Opening Reception 10 May 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Judith Mann is an artist from Halifax who will be exhibiting new work on canvas and paper. Viewing related work exhibited last year in Halifax, Ron Shuebrook wrote: “With the imagery more or less scaled to the perception of the actual size of the subject matter, the works explicitly refer to the effects […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OPERA

Arlene Berman

29 March 1983 - 16 April 1983
Opening Reception 29 March 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Opera The content of Arlene Berman’s installation is loosely based on a tragedy — Lady of the Camelias by Alexander Deumas. This multimedia installation witll consist of drawings and structures, photographs and a sound piece.

PAST EXHIBITION

6×6

Ed Zelenak

29 March 1983 - 16 April 1983
Opening Reception 29 March 1983 8pm

East Gallery: 6×6 Ed Zelenak is presenting a number of works described as “metal in paper sleeved in acrylic.” “My concerns are to define and to articulate a space in which a human consciousness apprehends the world and the self through a process of oppositions and eventuations. Synthetically the archetypal symbol reveals the secular aspect […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LIFE DEATH PATIENCE

Joseph Nechvatal

8 March 1983 - 26 March 1983
Opening Reception 8 March 1983 8pm

East Gallery: Life Death Patience New York artist Joseph Nechvatal will be presenting wall murals and a multimedia installation at Mercer Union. Joseph Nechvatal has channeled an early interest in political, non-violent activism into artistic production: drawings, paintings, murals, political cartoons, videotapes, prints, posters, books, super-8 films, and designs for industrial materials, most of which […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ART IN THE OBSESSIONAL STYLE

Cathrine MacTavish

8 March 1983 - 26 March 1983
Opening Reception 8 March 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Art in the Obsessional Style Night Vision: Stars in her Eyes “The Pure Gold Baby that Melts to a Shriek” Toronto artist Catherine MacTavish will be presenting paintings at Mercer Union from March 8th – March 26th. The exhibition will also include photographs “My Pictures” by Sue Schnee and Nial Burnett. “Work in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

RUINS OF THE FLOATING STAIRCASE

Tom Dean

15 February 1983 - 5 March 1983
Opening Reception 15 February 1983 8pm

Sculpture Ruins of the Floating Staircase Tom Dean’s Floating Staircase was begun in 1978 and completed in 1979. For two years it lived a problematic existence in Toronto harbour, enduring many adventures, some bureaucratic, some natural and some philosophical. In the fall of 1981 it was burned to ashes on the water. This exhibit includes […]

PAST EXHIBITION

FELT CROSSES-FALSE TEETH

Alastair MacLennan

28 January 1983 - 29 January 1983
Opening Reception 28 January 1983 8pm

Performance: Felt-Crosses-False Teeth Mercer Union presents Alistair MacLennan in a performance/installation entitled Felt Crosses-False Teeth. The piece is a moving cycle within a 24 hour period “plus an intended and as yet unknown ingredient to affect focusing ambivalence and displacement strategy.” Alistair MacLennan was born in Scotland in 1943. Since 1976, he has been Senior […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONSTRUCTIONS

Richard Storms

25 January 1983 - 12 February 1983
Opening Reception 25 January 1983 8pm

West Gallery: Constructions This is Richard Storms first one-man exhibition in Toronto. The exhibition consists of painted wood and masonite constructions derived from architectural details. Graphite lines drawn directly on the wall define the shadows cast by the constructions to emphasize the actual, non-illusory space they occupy. The surfaces – the result of the layering […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SHORE, OFF SHORE

Eva Brandl

25 January 1983 - 12 February 1983
Opening Reception 25 January 1981 8pm

East Gallery: Shore, Off Shore Montreal artist Eva Brandl will be presenting a large scale installation entitled “Shore, off Shore”. The installation is composed of four objects and one large image projected onto a screen. What appears on the screen is the following tableau: the blurred outline of what could be a garden house or […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SNAKE PIT

Jim Elniski

4 January 1983 - 22 January 1983
Opening Reception 4 January 1983 8pm

East & West Gallery: Snake Pit Snake Pit is composed of found segments of tree limb and root that bare a formal resemblance to serpentine shapes. Into one end of each “snake stick” is notched a mouth and aniline dyes have been used to stain the bodies. The head of each snake swallows the tail […]

PAST EXHIBITION

STACEY SPIEGEL

Stacey Spiegel

14 December 1982 - 1 January 1983
Opening Reception 14 December 1982 8pm

East & West Galleries: Stacey Spiegel’s exhibition is composed of three sculptures and five graphite and charcoal drawings. The physical constructions actively interchange with natural elements, “capturing the intensity of human experience merging metaphor and association through form and process.” The graphite and charcoal drawings are a graphic description of the sculpture’s energy in transition.

PAST EXHIBITION

RIC EVANS

Ric Evans

23 November 1982 - 11 December 1982
Opening Reception 23 November 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Ric Evans’ exhibition includes five oil on wood (four of which measure 8′ x 8′) and four oil sketches. The work continues an exploration of a measured concern in non-objective paintings. Ric Evans Mercer Union Toronto (An interview with Ric Evans by Robert Bowers: Bowers is “R” and Evans is “Ric”.) R: What […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CHARLES PARNESS

Charles Parness

23 November 1982 - 11 December 1982
Opening Reception 23 November 1982 8pm

East Gallery: Charles Parness began this series of paintings in 1979. The works are oil on canvas and measure 20×20 inches. All are self-portraits in different guises. “I had hoped that a narrative about myself would emerge. A story not only of the development of different abilities in handling paint texture, composition, colour line, form, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

KENT STATE U./PILGRIMAGE & MNEMONIC

Stan Denniston

2 November 1982 - 20 November 1982
Opening Reception 2 November 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Kent State U./Pilgrimage & Mnemonic Stan Denniston’s concerns with the associative properties of memory, first evidenced in his ‘REMINDERS’ series, are further developed in this exhibition to engender a much complexified view of private consciousness. The catalyst of this photographic installation was a visit to the site of an extraordinary public event with […]

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MERCER MNEMONIC: (SAMPLE, SIZE & RELATIVITY)

Robert McNealy

2 November 1982 - 20 November 1982
Opening Reception 2 November 1982 8pm

East Gallery: Mercer Mnemonic: (Sample, Size & Relativity) Robert McNealy’s current work involves an attempt to convey the associative elements of what might seem to be disparate events/subjects. Within his work he draws on a wide range of media (sculpture, painting, photography, etc.) to establish a parallel associative context between his activity and the socio/political […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TABLEAU/SUPPORT (IN THE WEST…)

Gordon Lebredt

12 October 1982 - 30 October 1982
Opening Reception 12 October 1982 8pm

Installation Tableau/Support (In The West…) Tableau/Support (in the West…), an installation by Gordon Lebredt, will present a number of double or mirror scenes which have evolved from certain material aspects of the Gallery’s present and former spaces. Renovations to the present Gallery echo a mirror configuration of the Gallery’s former Mercer Street location. The exhibition […]

PAST EXHIBITION

OBEDIENT OBJECT/SPECIFIC TRADITIONS

Gary Dufour

21 September 1982 - 9 October 1982
Opening Reception 21 September 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Obedient Object/Specific Traditions Statement by Artist: My exhibition involves cast and constructed replicas of domestic and museum objects. The production of the objects employs specific sculptural traditions contrasted to the function and situation of their prototype. The objects being models are contingent forms. The associations which surround the prototype, sculptural practise and function […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GOLEM: OBJECTS AS SENSATIONS

Yana Sterbak

21 September 1982 - 9 October 1982
Opening Reception 21 September 1982 8pm

East Gallery; Golem: Objects As Sensations The show will consist of real-scale objects cast incontent-related materials. Jana Sterbak Mercer Union Toronto by Jeanne RandolphVanguard, December 1982 Even considering that art galleries are seldom frequented by lummoxes, most of the sculptures in this exhibition are so petite and vulnerable someone might inadvertently stomp on them, meek […]

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SEALED ORDERS

Nene Humphrey, Kathy McCarthy, Gail Swithenbank, and Warner W. Wada Warner W. Wada

31 August 1982 - 18 September 1982
Opening Reception 31 August 1982 8pm

East & West Galleries: Sealed Orders Group exhibition: Nene Humphrey “Falling Body-Floating Body” sculptural installation Kathy McCarthy “Street Suite and Others” painted construction Gail Swithenbank “Architechtural Installation for Mercer Union” mixed media Warner W. Wada “Private Screening” photo mural. Sculptural Installation, Painted Construction, Mixed Media, Photo Mural The work exhibited in Sealed Orders is diverse […]

PAST EXHIBITION

COLLABORATIONS: MYTHOLOGIES; AESTHETICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Jim Anderson, Andy Fabo, and Oliver Girling

14 August 1982 - 28 August 1982

Collaborations: Mythologies; Aesthetics in the Modern World “Myth is a type of speech chosen by history. It cannot possibly evolve from the ‘nature’ of things.” – Roland Barthes The Collaboration: Through the effluvium of history the Trans – avant guarde travels trans – Canada to find St. Paul Kane the Indomitable wielding his palette against […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TORONTO WALL DRAWINGS

Daniel Sharp

20 July 1982 - 7 August 1982
Opening Reception 20 July 1982 8pm

East & West Galleries: Toronto Wall Drawings This Peterborough artist will present an installation of graphite and tempera drawing on the gallery walls in the West Gallery against painted shaped forms, projecting minimally off the walls of the East Gallery. The shapes and patterns derive from architecture and signs chosen from the streets of downtown […]

PAST EXHIBITION

AGIT PROP

Bruce Barber, Stuart Brisley, Elizabeth Chitty, Sonia Knox, Marcel Odenbach, Martha Rosler

19 July 1982 - 9 August 1982
Opening Reception 19 July 1982 8pm

International Performance Art Series: Agit Prop “Performance art is by its nature ephemeral. Each piece of work is a process in time which can never be precisely recaptured, this being a quality which performance art shares with other events on the stage and on the concert platform.” Stuart Hood. In collaboration with the Walter Phillips […]

PAST EXHIBITION

STEEPLECHASE: AN OBSTACLE COURSE FOR ONE RACER

William Brown

30 June 1982 - 17 July 1982
Opening Reception 30 June 1982 8pm

East & West Galleries: Performance Steeplechase: An Obstacle Course for One Racer A Toronto premiere of William Brown’s first performance “Steeplechase” will mark the opening of a large installation on this theme. The piece will occupy both galleries. In “Steeplechase,” the artist manipulates art within the context of sport; this work illustrates the artist’s struggle […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Benefit at The Concert Hall: Kitchen Sync

Performance group with Glenn Branca, Julia Heyward, Oliver Lake, David Van Tieghem.

17 June 1982 - 23 June 1982

June 17 – 23, 1982 (various locations and times) This Kitchen Sync Packed with acts Carole Corbeil Globe and Mail, June 1982 The producers of Kitchen Sync certainly proved their point: Performance art sells. Over 1,300 people turned up at the Concert Hall Saturday night to watch and hear artists from New York’s The Kitchen. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ELAINE GREENE

Elaine Greene

8 June 1982 - 26 June 1982
Opening Reception 8 June 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Elaine Greene is an artist working in many mediums. The show at Mercer Union consists of 10 chalk pastel drawings on black paper. The content is concerned with personal confrontation.

PAST EXHIBITION

MADONNA

Rae Johnson

8 June 1982 - 26 June 1982
Opening Reception 8 June 1982 8pm

East Gallery: Madonna The paintings were executed between 1980 and 1982. They are depictions of the metaphors of the Visitation, Annunciation, and the Immaculate Conception. A disturbing look at female archetypes Rae Johnson’s canvases express anxiety and doubt Looming in joyless society Christopher Hume Toronto Star, June 1982 Will success spoil Rae Johnson? When her […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAYS OF DISCOVERY

Paulette Phillips

4 June 1982
Opening Reception 4 June 1982 8pm

June 4th at 9:00 pm. A video performance.

PAST EXHIBITION

MAINTENANCE PAINTINGS

Gerald Ferguson

18 May 1982 - 5 June 1982
Opening Reception 18 May 1982 8pm

Paintings: The Maintenance Paintings The Maintenance Paintings in the present exhibition relate to such works as his sculpture 1,000,000 Pennies, shown at the Glenbow Museum in January 1981. Earlier paintings of the same title are part of a programme of work since 1978 that refers to a procedure at Halifax City Hall where the wood […]

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HISTORY

Robert Youds

18 May 1982 - 5 June 1982
Opening Reception 18 May 1982

Paintings: Mercer Union presents paintings by Robert Youds. “Painting must have a social function beyond simple decorative, design and formal concepts.” Robert Youds strives towards addressing the social function by remaining conscious of the audience and encouraging interaction between the viewer and the painting. “History”, works within the context of satire, socio-political and socio-environmental notions.

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN CLARK

John Clark

27 April 1982 - 15 May 1982
Opening Reception 27 April 1982 8pm

Paintings: John Clark is a native of England who is presently teaching painting at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Between 1966 and 1968 Clark studied painting at Indiana University. Returning to England in ’68 he painted in various styles including naturalistic painting. After a visit to New York in 1977, where he […]

PAST EXHIBITION

(2.1.3) / 5 COLOURS

Jaan Poldaas

27 April 1982 - 15 May 1982
Opening Reception 27 April 1982 8pm

East Gallery: (2.1.3) / 5 Colours “(2, 1,3) / 5 COLOURS” is an open-ended series of paintings begun in early 1981. Each painting consists of 25 solid-coloured rectangles separated by narrow,black recessed outlines. Five colours are ‘invented” for each painting, and are arranged in a horizontal row across its centre. Above the centre are the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Art/Music Series 1982: NIAGARA

Catherine Carmichael, Peter Templeman, Lorne Wagman.

23 April 1982

A concert with drawings in progress by Harold Klunder.

PAST EXHIBITION

ART/MUSIC SERIES 1982

Morton Feldman

17 April 1982
Opening Reception 17 April 1982 8pm

An Evening with Morton Feldman: Tapes of “Triadic Memories” for solo piano, and talk. Mercer Union is pleased to present one of its first events in the Art/Music Series — Morton Feldman, who will play tapes of his music and “talk, talk, talk…” This internationally recognized composer has been artistically associated with both musician like […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PLASSUN HAREL

8 April 1982

PRESS RELEASE April 8, 1982 8:00 pm Mercer Union presents the most recent work of performance art by Plassun Harel. Mr. Harel is currently visiting North America to premier his latest performance art: “Cette ambiance de Guimauve subit des interferences, puis de veritables attaques. Des carrés sont piegés et explosent – le coton fume… la […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LIGHTMARE

Cynthia Short

6 April 1982 - 24 April 1982
Opening Reception 6 April 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Lightmare Cynthia Short is an artist working in Toronto. For the last several years she has been working on small sculptures using materials such as wax, soil, and paper mache. “I try to make things that have a quality of something remembered or recognized. I hope that my images grow from a place […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SIGN LANGUAGE

Patrick Jenkins

6 April 1982 - 24 April 1982
Opening Reception 6 April 1982 8pm

April 18th Film Screening: “Wedding Before Me” (1976) “Fluster” (1978) “Ruse” (1980) “Shadowplay” (1981) “Sign Landuage” (1982) Mercer Union will be showing an exhibition of drawings by Toronto artist Patrick Jenkins. This series of drawings is entitled “Sign Language”. The drawings are done in charcoal and use non-verbal symbol signs that are found in airport […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DRAWINGS IN PROGRESS

Harold Klunder

16 March 1982 - 3 April 1982
Opening Reception 16 March 1982 8pm

PRESS RELEASE Harold Klunder is presently working in Toronto. Between March 14 and April 3, he will be continuing work on two wall size drawings, after gallery hours each day. The work in progress will be on view during 12 – 5 PM Tuesday to Saturday. The opening reception will take place on Saturday March […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LANDON MACKENZIE

Landon Mackenzie

16 March 1982 - 3 April 1982
Opening Reception 16 March 1982 8pm

PRESS RELEASE Landon Mackenzie is presently working in Montreal. She will be exhibiting painting from the “Lost River Series” (1981 – 1982) in the East Gallery at Mercer Union. They consist of large canvases with images of animals and land forms. They make references to the north (specifically the Yukon) as well as references to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

Art/Music Series 1982

Abraham Adzinyah and the Toronto West African Drumming Group

14 March 1982

PAST EXHIBITION

PART 2

Ted Weir

23 February 1982 - 13 March 1982
Opening Reception 23 February 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Part 2 Part 2 presents further work by Ted Weir – a comparison between the real and the imagined – using video technology and audience performance.  

PAST EXHIBITION

RECENT WORKS

Susan Schelle

23 February 1982 - 13 March 1982
Opening Reception 23 February 1982 8pm

East Gallery: Recent Works “The concerns in my work are increasingly with the experience of my own responses to an occasion. These feelings are protracted into a narration of an event. The use of materials in their purest sense simplifies images to create the experience.” – Susan Schelle.

PAST EXHIBITION

RED PRACTICE

Lily Chiro and Nona Finnbogason, Lily Chiro, Gilberto and Ron Gillespie, John Scott and Amy Pool, J.R. McLeod, Richard Banks and Dave Porter, Oliver Girling and Rae Johnson

Curated by Lily Chiro

14 February 1982
Opening Reception 14 February 1982 8pm

“Most people ‘view’ with years of history in front of them. There hardly ever is a clear eye to ‘new work’. The weight is on the artist to show his work in exactly the way he perceived it.” In Red PRactice all artists use the idea of ‘red’ as the basis for their work. This […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PETER BOWYER

Peter Bowyer

26 January 1982 - 13 February 1982
Opening Reception 26 January 1982 8pm

East Gallery: Steel Sculpture This Toronto artist studied Fine Arts at John Abbot College, Montreal, and sculpture at St. Martins School in England. His recent steel sculptures were made at Sculpture Space Inc. in Utica, New York. Two sculptors reflect opposites Globe and Mail, February 1982 Though they weren’t intended to work this way, the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ROBERT BOWERS

Robert Bowers

26 January 1982 - 13 February 1982
Opening Reception 26 January 1982 8pm

West Gallery: Robert Bowers will install a painted wood head that stands 6 feet high, fabricated in cedar 2 x 4s. (Working title: “PUBLIC WORK NO. 6”) Mr. Bowers currently teaches in the Sculpture Studio at York University. Robert Bowers Parking Lot/339 King St. W. Jennifer Oille Vanguard, March 1982 Coming to Toronto in 1969, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PIETER SLAGBOOM

Pieter Slagboom

5 January 1982 - 23 January 1982
Opening Reception 5 January 1982 8pm

Sculpture 1. Gallery Relocation Mercer Union has relocated at 333 Adelaide Street West, at the corner of Peter Street in downtown Toronto. The new gallery, which occupies the entire fifth floor of the building, will open to the public January 5th, 1982, following a month of renovations to the space. 2. Exhibition Pieter Slagboom Sculpture […]

PAST EXHIBITION

NO PRACTICUM

Stephen Cruise

24 November 1981 - 28 November 1981
Opening Reception 24 November 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: No Practicum An installation by Toronto artist Stephen Cruise will be on exhibition at Mercer Union from September 22nd to October 10th.    

PAST EXHIBITION

ANIMAL LOVE AND HUMAN SEX

Nancy Johnson

21 November 1981 - 28 November 1981
Opening Reception 21 November 1981 8pm

Blue & Red Oil Paintings 8″X10″

PAST EXHIBITION

LES DEMEURES

Jocelyne Alloucherie

3 November 1981 - 21 November 1981
Opening Reception 3 November 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: Les Demeures An installation by Quebec artist Jocelyne Alloucherie will be exhibited in the Large Gallery at MErcer Union November 3rd to 21st, 1981. From the artist’s statement on the work les Demeures: “… a staging of different pieces, an attempt to define a site from nowhere, impregnated with nomadism and fiction.” Gallery […]

PAST EXHIBITION

AFFIRMATION

Orienda Caranci

3 November 1981 - 13 November 1981
Opening Reception 3 November 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Affirmation An installation by Toronto artist Orienda Caranci will be exhibited in the Mercer Union Front Gallery from November 3rd to 13th, 1981. The exhibition opens at 8:00pm, Tuesday, November 3rd. From the artist’s statement on the work Affirmation: “An object is created – The reflection of a particular reality. Reality transforms; An […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BOOKS IN MANUSCRIPT FORM

Group Show

17 October 1981 - 30 October 1981
Opening Reception 17 October 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Books in Manuscript Form Bookworks Group Exhibition An exhibition of artists’ books, and ideas for books, will be on display in the Mercer Union Front Gallery, October 17th to 30th. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturdays. For further information contact Doug Sigurdson, Director. Artist list from Books in Manuscript […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DOWNWIND PHOTOGRAPHS

Arnaud Maggs

13 October 1981 - 31 October 1981
Opening Reception 13 October 1981 8pm

Main Gallery: Arnaud Maggs, a Toronto artist, began his portraits of the human head six years ago. In 1978, 64 Portrait Studies was exhibited at the David Mirvish Gallery. The following year his portraits of French chef Ledoyen Series, was exhibited at YYZ Gallery in Toronto. Last winter Maggs had a one-man show at the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CARNIVALE

Brad Brace

3 October 1981 - 16 October 1981
Opening Reception 3 October 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Carnivale The work of Halifax artist Brad Brace will be on exhibition in the Mercer Union Front Gallery from October 3rd to 16th, 1981. Titled Carnivale, the exhibition includes paintings, sticks, and one photograph. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturdays. For further information please contact Doug Sigurdson, Director.

PAST EXHIBITION

A PEOPLE PARTICIPATING SEISMOMETERA

Juan Geuer

29 September 1981 - 10 October 1981
Opening Reception 4 September 2023 12am

Large Gallery: A People Participating Seismometer “A People Participating Seismometer” Artist Juan Geuer will exhibit a seismometer of his own invention in the Mercer Union Large Gallery from September 29th to October 10th, 1981. Visitors are invited to come and experience the minute vibrations that travel continuously through the earth, and to witness the larger […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THREE PAINTINGS

Greg Ludlow

19 September 1981 - 2 October 1981
Opening Reception 19 September 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Three Paintings Greg Ludlow will show three new paintings in the Front Gallery at Mercer Union from September 19th to October 2nd. Greg Ludlow currently lives in London, Ontario. Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5:00pm. For further information please contact Doug Sigurdson, Director.    

PAST EXHIBITION

ROLL CALL

Colin Lochhead

5 September 1981 - 18 September 1981
Opening Reception 5 September 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: Roll Call An installation by Toronto artist Stephen Cruise will be on exhibition at Mercer Union from September 22nd to October 10th.

PAST EXHIBITION

CUT PAINTINGS

Milt Jewell

1 September 1981 - 19 September 1981
Opening Reception 1 September 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: Cut Paintings Milt Jewell, from Toronto will exhibit “Cut Paintings” from September 1 to September 19, 1981 in the Main Gallery at Mercer Union. The exhibit will consist of several paintings on cut paneling which feature low relief, a gritty surface, and sporadic colour. Change in Calender Toronto artist Stephen Cruisewill not be […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DRAWINGS TO DIE KÜNSTLICHEN

Martin Klug

15 August 1981 - 7 September 1981
Opening Reception 15 August 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Drawings to die Künstlichen Martin Klug, a Toronto artist born in St. Paul, Minnesota, came to Canada in 1968. He has studied at York University, Queen’s University, and Nova Scotia School of Art and Design. His exhibition “Drawings to die Künstlichen” consists of large drawings in pencil and graphite dealing with a personal […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CONSTRUCTING PARALLELS

Brian Groombridge

11 August 1981 - 29 August 1981
Opening Reception 11 August 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: Constructing Parallels An installation with architectural references involving wall studding and photographs. A wide range of associations are evoked by this piece which concerns itself with elements of transience. Rick Rhodes Vanguard, October 1981 Brian Groombridge’s installation Constructing Parallels has the clear-headedness of a trade show exhibit. The piece works up from a […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAVID HIMBARA

David Himbara

1 August 1981 - 14 August 1981
Opening Reception 1 August 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: David Himbara, from Uganda, has lived in Toronto for 7 years. He will exhibit his photographs and sculptures in the Front Gallery from August 1 to 14, 1981. The photographs display the social conditions on an Indian Reservation; the sculptures deal with the policital torture and racism. Himbara’s work reflects a consciousness based […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CHRYSANNE STATHACOS

Chrysanne Stathacos

21 July 1981 - 8 August 1981
Opening Reception 21 July 1981 8pm

Main Gallery: Chrysanne Stathacos is a Toronto artist who maintains a studio in New York City. She will exhibit her paintings in the Main Gallery from July 21 to August 8, 1981. In relation to her work, Stathacos has expained: “My work combines three-dimensional figurative painting with elements of gestural drawing, abstract painting, and round […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SEAN MORTON

Sean Morton

18 July 1981 - 31 July 1981
Opening Reception 18 July 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Sean Morton will be showing recent sculpture at Mercer Union, July 4 to July 17. His mixed media works composed of manipulated fiberglass, plexisglass, and various found objects reflect both his humour and his defiant youthful ideals. Sean Mortion attended Arizona State University in the BFA Sculpture program. He received an Artist in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MAN TO MAN

Isaac Applebaum

4 July 1981 - 17 July 1981
Opening Reception 4 July 2023 12am

Front Gallery: Man to Man Isaac Applebaum, editor of the well received art magazine Impressions will have his first Toronto solo-exhibition MAN TO MAN at Mercer Union Front July 4 to 17. The exhibition consisting of six large scale photographs is a good example of portraiture in the contemporary idiom. Isaac Applebaum, originally from Winnipeg, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

MADE TO MEASURE: SIX CONSTRUCTIONS

Svitlana Muchin

30 June 1981 - 18 July 1981
Opening Reception 30 June 1981 8pm

Large Gallery: Made to Measure: Six Constructions Svitlana has been living and working in Toronto for the past two years. This is her first one person show in Toronto, having previously exhibited and studied in Winnipeg.  

PAST EXHIBITION

INSIDE OUT

Wendy Wortsman

20 June 1981 - 3 July 1981
Opening Reception 20 June 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: Inside Out Wendy Wortsman lives and works in Toronto. In addition to this exhibition, works are currently being exhibited in the Metropolitan Restaurant. Wendy will then be involved in a group show at the Grunwald Gallery from July 21 to August 14.

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTHUR HANDY

Arthur Handy

9 June 1981 - 27 June 1981
Opening Reception 9 June 1981 12pm

Large Gallery: In collaboration with the Baxter Payton Crane Co., Toronto artist, Arthur Handy will examine several concerns which over the years have become increasingly important to him. These include the physical properties of materials (weight, density, etc.), the visual and psychological perception of the spectator in concrete rather than abstract terms of these phenomena, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DEGREES OF ORIENTATION

David Turney

6 June 1981 - 19 June 1981
Opening Reception 6 June 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: Degrees of Orientation Sculpture

PAST EXHIBITION

PHANTOM OASIS

Betty Ferguson and Dennis Hunkler

26 May 1981 - 5 June 1981
Opening Reception 26 May 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Phantom Oasis A collaboration between Dennis Hunkler and Betty Ferguson, this multi-media installation combining tape, photographs and slides will examine a structural relationship between speech and image. The exhibition unfolds in three modules or “stories”; each module exhibits a unification between the integration and disintegration of its subject. Dennis Hunkler is a graduate […]

PAST EXHIBITION

META

Pauline Choi

19 May 1981 - 6 June 1981
Opening Reception 19 May 1981 8pm

Main Gallery: Meta Meta; Paint as bond. Recent painting constructions by the Toronto artist.

PAST EXHIBITION

POLITICAL LIFE OF OBJECTS

Andrew Rodomar

9 May 1981 - 22 May 1981
Opening Reception 9 May 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Political Life of Objects Painting Recent paintings exploring relations between the city and artistic production.  

PAST EXHIBITION

THE ROAD, THE NAME OF A TOWN

Caroline Simmons

28 April 1981 - 16 May 1981
Opening Reception 28 April 1981 12pm

Main Gallery: The Road, The Name of a Town Caroline Simmons, mixed media installation artist will present two of her works: The Road and The Name of a Town at Mercer Union from April 28 to May 16. The Road is a 16-foot representation of a section of a tar-stone road. It is the result […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GREETINGS FROM…

Hans Peter Marti

25 April 1981 - 8 May 1981
Opening Reception 25 April 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Greetings from… Hans Peter Marti is just back from his world travels and would like to share some of his pictures with you. Although he didn’t leave Toronto in person, his image visited many exotic places from Singapore to Zurich. Marti, a photographer, is known for the wry, ironic twists he uses to […]

PAST EXHIBITION

VIRTUAL IMAGE MACHINE PROJECTION

Brian Boigon

11 April 1981 - 24 April 1981
Opening Reception 11 April 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: Virtual ImaGE Machine Projection This construction represents a silent equation implicit in the phenomenon of reflection: ‘the virtual image is a the same distance “behind” a reflective surface as an “object” is in front of it. The machine is meant to sustain this equation in absence of a person, – as a theoretical […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DYADS

Michael Balfe

7 April 1981 - 25 April 1981
Opening Reception 7 April 1981 12pm

Main Gallery: Dyads This new series of paintings is an extension of earlier concerns involving structural order and serial variance reacting within a set of prescribed criteria. The new work develops this attitude towards prescribed criteria, that is, defined areas of choice as opposed to unbounded arbitrary choice, by allowing the interaction between structure (rational […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BRUCE PARSON

Bruce Parsons

28 March 1981 - 10 April 1981
Opening Reception 28 March 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Multi-media Installation The new work of Bruce Parsons includes an installation piece with chocolate hats and some small scale paintings which feature images of animals. They are being shown for two weeks at the artist-run Mercer Union Gallery, opening on Saturday, March 28, 1981 from 12:00 – 6:00 pm. These works have grown […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PAINTING No. 1

Pirus (Denis Mercier)

14 March 1981 - 28 March 1981
Opening Reception 14 March 1981 7pm

Installation French Artist images details: exhibition painting n°1, phtalo green pigment and naked wall brick  

PAST EXHIBITION

WALL DRAWING

Sol Lewitt

14 March 1981 - 4 April 1981
Opening Reception 14 March 1981 12pm

Sol Lewitt-takes his line from geometry John Bentley Mays Globe and Mail, March 1981 In his famous book on architecture, the Roman engineer Vitruvius tells an interesting old story about the Socratic philosopher Aristippus. It so happened that the sage was shipwrecked off Rhodes, and washed ashore along with some of his traveling companions. But […]

PAST EXHIBITION

CATHERINE DALEY

Catherine Daley

28 February 1981 - 13 March 1981
Opening Reception 28 February 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: A narrative marine installation combining a large drawing with floor constructions and cast shadows that immerse the viewer in illusions of two- and three-dimensional representation. Catherine Daley is from Toronto. She has shown in group shows at A.C.t., Gallery’76 and the Glendon Gallery. This will be her first solo exhibition.  

PAST EXHIBITION

MODERN FASHIONS

David Buchan

17 February 1981 - 7 March 1981
Opening Reception 17 February 1981 12pm

Main Gallery: Modern Fashions Buchan sells revolution in the best satirical style John Bentley Mays Globe and Mail, February 1981 “Tell them who you are. When you’ve got something to say, don’t just say it – wear it!” From an ad for Semantic T shirts, by David Buchan. David Buchan, whose 1979 work Modern Fashions […]

PAST EXHIBITION

BONE CHINA

Lisa Keedwell

14 February 1981 - 27 February 1981
Opening Reception 14 February 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: Bone China In a show consisting of three parts, this Toronto artist examines the look and feel of replicas of Bone China as they appear in various states of decay. the first part of the work is a table setting for eight (including plates, cups, saucers and tea service) sewn together from plaster […]

PAST EXHIBITION

DAVID SAUNDERS

David Saunders

31 January 1981 - 13 February 1981
Opening Reception 4 January 2023 12am

Front Gallery: In a small scale model constructed of wire, wood and plasticene, the Toronto artist presents a humorous look at his immediate environment, – the Broadview and Queen area surrounding his Clark St. studio. Also on view will be a wearable styrofoam skyscraper costume modeled on an Empire State Building prototype. David Saunders has […]

PAST EXHIBITION

STEPHEN MENZIES

Stephen Menzies

27 January 1981 - 14 February 1981
Opening Reception 27 January 1981 12pm

Large Gallery: Drawing  

PAST EXHIBITION

ARTICULATION OF A RELATIONAL SPACE

Paul Campbell

17 January 1981 - 30 January 1981
Opening Reception 17 January 1981 12pm

Front Gallery: Articulation of a Relational Space Multimedia Installation

PAST EXHIBITION

FIELD

6 January 1981 - 24 January 1981
Opening Reception 6 January 1981 12pm

Main Gallery: Field Dan Reid, from Toronto, will exhibit an installation entitled Field in the Main Gallery from January 6 to 24. In relation to this work, Reid has explained: “Field is an installation of physical elements on a horizontal plane. The viewer is able to deal with these elements on a purely analytical level, […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN MITCHELL

John Mitchell

3 January 1981 - 16 January 1981
Opening Reception 3 January 1981 8pm

Front Gallery: Photographic Installation A photographic installation by this artist from Glasgow.  

PAST EXHIBITION

UNION MADE

Group Show

16 December 1980 - 23 December 1980
Opening Reception 16 December 1980 12pm

Main Gallery: Union Made Small scale works by Mercer Union Board members: Michael Davey, Peter Hill, Michael Balfe, Colin Lochhead, Jaan Poldaas, Jamie Lyons, Peter Blendell, Judith Schwarz, Robert Wiens, Anna-Marie Cobbold, Ric Evans, Renee Van Halm, John McKinnon and Robert McNealy. As part of this non-profit gallery’s fundraising campaign all the works on view […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THOMAS LAWSON

Thomas Lawson

13 December 1980 - 23 December 1980
Opening Reception 13 December 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: In his recent paintings, Lawson places advertising images of a domestic variety, – babies, dogs and so forth, that we almost tend to ignore or passively accept as part our daily visual diet, into a painterly context, thus causing the viewer to reevaluate what the imagery denotes.  

PAST EXHIBITION

BODY REGISTERS

Lee Paquette

29 November 1980 - 12 December 1980
Opening Reception 29 November 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Body Registers In a one-man show entitled Body Registers, Pacquette, a participant in Mercer Union’s Locations show held in the summer, will exhibit four forged steel works relating to the body.

PAST EXHIBITION

SLATE INSTALLATION

Michael Davey

26 November 1980 - 13 December 1980
Opening Reception 26 November 1980 12pm

Sculptural Installation

PAST EXHIBITION

MICHAEL AMAR

Michael Amar

15 November 1980 - 28 November 1980
Opening Reception 15 November 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Recent stone carvings and drawings by the Toronto artist.  

PAST EXHIBITION

SIX FROM THE STYX: AN EXCHANGE WITH EYE LEVEL

Brad Brace, John Clark, Dennis Gill, John Greer, Colette Urban, Carol Wainio

4 November 1980 - 23 November 1980
Opening Reception 4 November 1980 12pm

Six artists affiliated with the Eye Level Gallery showing in Toronto in an exchange exhibition with Mercer Union. The six artists are: Brad Brace – installation John Clark – paintings Dennis Gill – floor pieces John Greer – wall pieces Colette Urban – installation Carol Wainio – paintings Offerings From Maritimes Suffer Strange Power Failure […]

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ANOTHER CORNER

Macy Awad

1 November 1980 - 14 November 1980
Opening Reception 1 November 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Another Corner This exhibition by the Toronto artist will consist of a large painted plywood construction incorporating one corner of the Front Gallery.

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ROGER PIOTROW

Roger Piotrow

18 October 1980 - 31 October 1980
Opening Reception 18 October 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Recent gouache works on paper by the Toronto artist.  

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PICTURES OF THINGS

Lynn Hughes

14 October 1980 - 1 November 1980
Opening Reception 14 October 1980 12pm

Main Gallery: Pictures of Things “I am interested in a dense and ambiguous sense of ‘thing’ that hovers between the animate and the inanimate, prose and paradise, the classic and the mannerist…” A selection of the Montreal artist’s recent paintings entitled “Pictures of Things”. Nancy Carroll Vanguard, December 1980 “Pictures of Things” is the title […]

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ANONYMOUS MECHANISIM

Andy Patton

4 October 1980 - 17 October 1980
Opening Reception 4 October 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Anonymous Mechanisim The large scale photographs comprising this show are of a series of posters executed anonymously by the Toronto artist over a period extending from April 1978 to June 1979. Each poster was originally designed for a specific context. As Patton has explained, “Two are from a series of five which worked […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PAUL STRATIGOS & HASS MURPHY

Hass Murphy & Paul Stratigos

23 September 1980 - 11 October 1980
Opening Reception 23 September 1980 12pm

Main Gallery: New York Show Chosen by Hass Murphy Paul Stratigos Paintings Hess Murphy Sculpture  

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CARL JACOBSON & LAWRENCE SILVER

Carl Jacobson & Lawrence Silver

20 September 1980 - 3 October 1980
Opening Reception 20 September 1980 12pm

Front Gallery: Two Artists from New York Carl Jacobson Paintings on Paper Lawrence Silver Drawings and Collages  

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RECENT PLANTS

Garry Neil Kennedy

6 September 1980 - 19 September 1980
Opening Reception 6 September 1980 12pm

Installation: Mercer Union Gallery would like to borrow for two weeks a potted plant from your gallery. The plant will be carefully transported to and from the gallery, and while it is at Mercer Union it will be well cared for and placed in a room which has a natural light source. It will form […]

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BURN

John McEwen

2 September 1980 - 20 September 1980
Opening Reception 2 September 1980 12pm

Understanding Caliban McEwen’s Work Speaks For Itself, But What’s It Saying? John Bentley Mays Globe and Mail, September 1980 I do not understand John McEwen’s installation at Mercer Union, 29 Mercer, which is on view until Sept. 20. But this is what’s there: clamped on the west wall, three large iron slabs. Near the top […]

PAST EXHIBITION

TIME

Dan Reid

23 August 1980 - 5 September 1980
Opening Reception 23 August 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Installation

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SITE CONSTRUCTION

Robert Wiens

12 August 1980 - 30 August 1980
Opening Reception 12 August 1980 8pm

Installation: Robert Wiens, a Toronto artist, will have his first major solo-exhibition at MERCER UNION August 12 to 30th. The constructions done specifically for the gallery will be large scale requiring a week’s on-site labour previous to the opening date. The installation consists of six parts: two truncated pyramid structures extending floor to ceiling based […]

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GRID II

F.M. Hogan

26 July 1980 - 8 August 1980
Opening Reception 26 July 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Grid II “Drawing in Space” Installation: arrangements of nylon cord referring to the interior space of the Front Gallery which also allude to exterior natural phenomena.

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ANNA-MARIE COBBOLD

Anna-Marie Cobbold

15 July 1980 - 2 August 1980
Opening Reception 15 July 1980 8pm

Main Gallery: A series of postcards and two large paintings of equivalent dimensions asserting a simultaneous experience of transition from the city of Montreal to the city of Toronto. Anna-Marie Cobbold is a painter currently working in Toronto.  

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BARBARA REID

Barbara Reid

12 July 1980 - 25 July 1980
Opening Reception 12 July 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Watercolour paintings The New Image as metaphysical landscape.

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PAPER QUILTS

Nancy Smith

28 June 1980 - 25 July 1980
Opening Reception 28 June 1980 12am

Front Gallery: Paper Quilts Hand-colored paper constructions improvised from traditional Amish designs.  

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SELF EMPLOYED MACHINE (FOR H.B.)

Bernie Miller

14 June 1980 - 28 June 1980
Opening Reception 14 June 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Self Employed Machine (For H.B.)

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CANADIAN WORD-CHASER SERIES

Richard Nonas

3 June 1980 - 12 July 1980
Opening Reception 3 June 1980 8pm

Installation

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DRAWINGS OF A CERTAIN NATURE

Elizabeth MacKenzie

31 May 1980 - 13 June 1980
Opening Reception 31 May 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Drawings of a Certain Nature  

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BLUEPRINTS: THE SACRED CIRCUIT

Richard Purdy

27 May 1980 - 31 May 1980
Opening Reception 27 May 1980 8pm

Installation and performance

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STEVE ARMSTRONG

Steve Armstrong

17 May 1980 - 30 May 1980
Opening Reception 17 May 1980 8pm

Front Gallery.  

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LOCATIONS II

Michael Amar, Peter Blendell, Robert Bowers, Paul Campbell, Stan Denniston, Peter Dykhuis, Brian Groombridge, Colin Lochhead, Hans Peter Marti, Robert McNealy, Lee Pacquette, Andy Patton, Robin Peck, Dan Reid, Caroline Simmons, James Taciuk.

15 May 1980 - 30 June 1980
Opening Reception 15 May 1980 8pm

LOCATIONS OUTDOOR WORKS BY TORONTO ARTISTS Catalogue published by Mercer Union, 1980 Introduction by Peter Hill, Michael Balfe: In past years there has been an increasing awareness of the fact that there are many limiting and neutralising factors inherent in the gallery space which alter the original context of most artists’ work. This perception has […]

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ROLAND POULIN

Roland Poulin

6 May 1980 - 24 May 1980
Opening Reception 6 May 1980 8pm

Sculpture

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DAVID CLARKSON

David Clarkson

3 May 1980 - 16 May 1980
Opening Reception 4 May 2023 12am

Front Gallery: Sculpture  

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DAVID BROWN

David Brown

19 April 1980 - 2 May 1980
Opening Reception 19 April 1980 8pm

Main Gallery: Paintings

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INTERIOR PROJECTION

Renee Van Halm

15 April 1980 - 3 May 1980
Opening Reception 15 April 1980 8pm

Interior Projection Installation

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DIVINAE PROPORTINAE

David MacWilliam

15 April 1980 - 3 May 1980
Opening Reception 15 April 1980 8pm

Sculpture

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TRANSLATIONS

Shannon Griffiths

5 April 1980 - 18 April 1980
Opening Reception 5 April 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Translation “The mausoleum of Galla Placidia is dominated by a remarkable colored atmosphere of gray light. This effect is produced by bathing the blue mosaic walls of the interior in an orange light, filtered through narrow windows of orange-tinted alabaster. Orange and blue are complimentary colors, the mixing of which yields gray. As […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PETER HILL

Peter Hill

25 March 1980 - 12 April 1980
Opening Reception 25 March 1980 8pm

Peter Hill Comes Up With Some Surprises By John Bentley Mays GLOBE AND MAIL, March 25 1980 If the most recent Peter Hill paintings you’ve seen were the ones in his 1975 A Space show, you may be surprised by what goes on view tonight at Mercer Union (29 Mercer St.) Each work at A […]

PAST EXHIBITION

PUDDLE PLAZA

Henk Jacobs

8 March 1980 - 21 March 1980
Opening Reception 8 March 1980 8pm

Front Gallery: Puddle Plazaˆ Opening March 8 and continuing until the 21st in the front gallery of Mercer Union will be an installation work by Toronto artist, Henk Jacobs. Entitled Puddle Plaza, the piece is made of lard and water and is installed in a manner which directly relates to the room in which in […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GEORGE TRAKAS

George Trakas

4 March 1980 - 22 March 1980
Opening Reception 4 March 1980 8pm

George Trakas Destined To Be One Of The Great Sculptors John Bentley Mays Globe and Mail, March 1980 The first major breakthrough for George Trakas in his home country was the inclusion of two sculptures in the 1978 landmark exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario entitled Structures for Behaviour. At that time, the Quebec […]

PAST EXHIBITION

ROBERT BOWERS

Robert Bowers

23 February 1980 - 7 March 1980
Opening Reception 23 February 1980 8pm

Sculpture

PAST EXHIBITION

AVENGING ANGELS

Milt Jewell

12 February 1980 - 25 February 1980
Opening Reception 12 February 1980 8pm

Rick Rhodes Vanguard, April 1980 What’s most likeable about Milt Jewell’s two-part painting, called Avenging Angels, is the gritty, ersatz surface. The underpainting of acrylic covered by iron filings has a tactile density that favours concrete properties over pictorial ones. It’s substantial and it also indicates a stance, rooted to Robert Ryman’s work and Richard […]

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SMALL WORK/ SMALL GALLERY

Jamie Lyons

9 February 1980 - 22 February 1980
Opening Reception 9 February 1980 8pm

Paintings

PAST EXHIBITION

FOUR ASPECTS, EIGHT ARTISTS

Sorel Cohen, Paul Hess, Stephen Horne, André Jodoin, Douglas Kirton, Ian Murray, Tom Sherman, Theodore Wan

8 January 1980 - 1 March 1980
Opening Reception 1 January 1980 8pm

This exhibition will include the works of two photographers, Theodore Wan and Sorel Cohen; two sculptors, Andre Jodoin and Dan Reid; two painters, Paul Hess and Doug Kirton and two artists working with installations, Richard Purdie and Tobie Maclennan. This exhibition will draw attention to the four major aspects of contemporary artmaking activites. Within the […]

PAST EXHIBITION

THE ABSENCE AND RITUAL OF LIFE AND DEATH

Federica Marangoni and Colin Lochhead

Curated by Peter Hill and David MacWilliam

10 December 1979 - 22 December 1979
Opening Reception 10 December 1979 8pm

Performance and Installation The Absence and Ritual of Life and Death The following is a partial transcription of tapes from the performance: …that evening practically it was decided to put things in order a bit and clear them up first of all to give ourselves some answers to that perennial and tedious question about god […]

PAST EXHIBITION

SCULPTURE: CO-SPONSERED BY A-SPACE

Robin Peck

Curated by David MacWilliam

19 November 1979 - 8 December 1979
Opening Reception 19 November 1979 8pm

Rick Rhodes Vanguard, December 1980 Robin Peck’s Mercer Union show must ultimately be regarded as a confused effort, yet that doesn’t stop it from also being one of the most interesting sculpture exhibits in Toronto during 1979. The strength of the work — although this must be distilled from an overload of ideas — is […]

PAST EXHIBITION

JOHN HEWARD

John Heward

Curated by Renée Van Halm

17 October 1979 - 3 November 1979
Opening Reception 17 October 1979 8pm

Paintings John Heward is a Montreal artist and has shown extensively there and internationally most recently in Milan, Italy as part of 20 x 20 Italia/Canada. This is his first solo exhibition in Toronto and is part of Mercer Union’s programming mandate to bring acclaimed artists from across Canada to the attention of Toronto audiences. […]

PAST EXHIBITION

A DIRECTED VIEW (THE FIRST TWO ROOMS)

John Massey

Curated by David MacWilliam

15 September 1979 - 13 October 1979
Opening Reception 15 September 1979 8pm

At The Drop Of A Hat A Directed View (the first two rooms) Installation by John Massey A descriptive analysis by Paul Collins and G Robinson Centerfold, October 1979 John Massey has erected a wall length-wise down the middle of the gallery at Mercer Union, dividing the space into two rooms that make up A […]

PAST EXHIBITION

LOCATIONS

Michael Balfe, Peter Blendell, Robert Bowers, Irène Busschaert, Christopher Butterfield, David Clarkson, Richard Evans, Brian Groombridge, Brian Kipping, Douglas Kirton, Colin Lochhead, Peter MacCallum, David MacWilliam, John McKinnon, Robert McNealy, Hans Peter Marti, Dan Reid, Gar Smith, Jana Sterbak, Robert Wiens, John Wilkinson

Curated by David MacWilliam

22 August 1979 - 8 September 1979
Opening Reception 21 December 2012 8pm

Outdoor works by 22 Toronto artists with documentation in the gallery

PAST EXHIBITION

INSTALLATIONS / ON SITE

Deborah McCarthy, Murray MacDonald, Tim Clark, Judith Schwarz

Curated by David MacWilliam and Renée Van Halm

16 July 1979 - 25 August 1979
Opening Reception 13 July 1979 8pm

Installations / On site A cycle of installation works executed at Mercer Union and co-sponsored by A Space Adele Freedman Yesterday’s News, Today’s Sculpture Globe and Mail, Saturday 19 August 1979. There are some who open their doors every morning to find a newspaper, rolled tight as a croissant, fetch it inside and don’t give […]

PAST EXHIBITION

GROUP OPENING

Michael Balfe, Peter Blendell, Richard Evans, Peter Hill, Jamie Lyons, David MacWilliam, John McKinnon, Robert McNealy, Jaan Poldaas, Renée Van Halm, Joy Walker, Robert Wiens

Curated by David MacWilliam and Renée Van Halm

10 July 1979 - 14 July 1979
Opening Reception 4 July 2023 12am

Adele Freedman, “New Mercer Union Gallery Founded By And For Artists,” Globe and Mail, July 1979. “Toronto does not have, has never had, and desperately needs, an artists’ organisation dedicated to the exposition of new work in the most advanced forms of painting and sculpture.” This manifesto is the work of the Mercer Union, a […]