In association with her solo exhibition at the Koffler Gallery, Esther Shalev-Gerz discusses the notions of portraiture, representation and testimonial within the context of her artistic practice based in active dialogue with diverse communities across many decades. In a candid conversation with curator Mona Filip, Shalev-Gerz also shares insights into her conceptual investigations of the ways in which individuals and societies construct ideas of cultural identity, democracy, memory and history.
Death To/Long Live | THE ARCHIVE
Death To/Long Live: THE ARCHIVE is series of interviews created by Koffler.Digital, exploring the socio-political function of video art and their archives. We spoke to artists, curators, arts workers, and activists, all with diverse perspectives on the importance of video art and archives. They discuss the politics surrounding the use and misuse of archival footage, the future of the archival process in Canada, and the uniqueness of video art to examine the political and social status quo.
Podcast | Matti Friedman & Rita Leistner
Author Matti Friedman joins photographer Rita Leistner at the Two Penny Cafe at Artscape Youngplace to discuss their interdisciplinary and socially engaged approaches to conflict journalism. Moderated by the Koffler’s producer of public and literary programs, Mary Anderson.
Mary Anne Barkhouse & FASTWÜRMS
In her Koffler Gallery exhibition, Le rêve aux loups, Mary Anne Barkhouse invokes the animal inhabitants of the land in artworks that reveal the transitory nature of empire, highlighting both the endurance and betrayals that delineate history north of the 49th parallel. Joining her in an insightful conversation, artists FASTWÜRMS and curator Jennifer Rudder discuss practices that foreground the relationship of the human and animal realm with the environment, examining the role that art can play in ecological as well as political awareness.