Summer of Bollywood and Salmon

That was a short autumn, eh? Anyone else shivering in the crisp fall wind that makes it feel almost like winter? Thank goodness for temperature control in the Gallery!

Visitors enjoying Picture House

Wall of White Wash

 

One of my favourite ways to get rid of cold weather blahs is to remember summer, and this past summer was quite a scorcher in terms of AGM programming. Meet Us on the Commons was an exciting exploration of how we redefine public space with out experiences. Our South Asian exhibits (Picture House: The Art of Bollywood and Amin Rehman: White Wash) were also very popular. It’s fantastic seeing the art and culture of other countries! We love being part of such a culturally diverse community as Mississauga, and we hope you enjoyed these exhibits as much as we did. If, like us, you want even more exhibits of art from other cultures, stay tuned. Something hot is coming in Summer 2012.

Video still from Meet us on the Commons

 

Super Salmo rescues her fishy friends from water pollution!

We also launched the Salmon Run Project: The Exhibition with the Mississauga Culture Division this summer. What better way to spend a lazy summer day than by sitting by a river and fishing? Well, perhaps enjoying contemporary art is more exciting, but thanks to twenty-four talented artists, the AGM was able to combine  both! At select locations all along the Credit River, we displayed salmon sculptures all summer, and held a silent auction in September. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Credit River in Mississauga, and we love hearing from artists how much fun they had creating these sculptures.

Salt encrusted salmon treasure

Best part? Some of the sculptures are still on display at the Art Gallery of Mississauga! Even if you missed the Salmon Run this summer, you can drop by the AGM next week and see the salmon sculptures all in one room. We know you’ll love these sculptures as much as we do. All sculptures on display are available for purchase, for $300 each. Just inquire at reception. Available salmon are listed on our website.

Don’t miss Stacey Sproule’s video work at Celebration Square!

Have you seen Stacey Sproule’s new video on the screens in Celebration Square yet? Not only can you view Draw Near (Rat King Study) in the Art Gallery of Mississauga, you can catch it every hour at Celebration Square, between 8am and 10pm. This work will run until the close of the exhibition, September 11, 2011.

About Draw Near, Stacey Sproule writes:

In Germanic folklore a Rat King is several rats hopelessly tangled by their tails (and bits of debris) as a result of too many rats living in too small a space. It is believed that many of the rats die as their tails are pulled deeper into the tangle by the stronger rats, and their bodies become twisted and contorted.  I will be using the concept of the rat king as a metaphor for this performance. In life we become entangled in the lives of others and the course of their decisions have the gravity to affect our own life (whether you like it or not). I wanted to manifest this idea in a human rat king, its members braided together as one awkward unit.

Learn more about Stacey Sproule’s practice by visiting her blog, Under This Weight We Grow.

3 Ways To Enjoy Sauga 2030

Book a seat on the Sauga 2030 Audio Driving Tour with the Department of Unusual Certainties
On Thursday August 25, join the Department of Unusual Certainties on an exploratory drive through Mississauga. Experience the sounds and stories of the city as it has been mapped out by a series of soundscapes and fictional audio vignettes that narrate imagined futures for sites throughout Mississauga in the year 2030. As participants journey from site to site, hearing charged confrontations between groups with opposing desires for these places, conflict becomes defined as a catalyst for the appropriation and transformation of space. In Sauga 2030, these encounters with seemingly unstable spaces leave us wondering what they will become next.

Tours leave the AGM at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm. Limited spaces are available for the driving tour. To book your spot in the car with the Department of Unusual Certainties, call the Art Gallery of Mississauga at 905-896-5088 or email agmcommons@gmail.com

$15 per participant

Download Sauga 2030
Sauga 2030 is available for free on the iTunes App Store. It can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPad and experienced at any time, even beyond the end of the exhibition.

Borrow an iPad
Can’t come for the driving tour and don’t have an iPhone to test out the app? An iPad is also available at the Art Gallery of Mississauga which visitors are welcome to sign out.

How to enjoy Sauga 2030
Decided to try out the tour on your own? Here’s how to do it*:

• Open the app on your iPhone or the iPad borrowed from the Art Gallery of Mississauga. A map of Mississauga will pop up.
• To take the tour, travel toward one of the 10 placemarkers that appear on the map. The tour can be started at any one of these destinations.
• As one travels through the tour, a blue marker will identify your location in retrospect to the map.
• Touch the circle at the top left hand corner of the app to turn off the feature which keeps the blue marker centred on the screen.
• As you’re driving through the tour, ambient noise tracks will be automatically triggered near sites.
• By touching on of the 10 place markers, you will get more detailed information about the specific site you are traveling towards or near.
• When you arrive at the site, press the play button to hear the story.
• Any story can be played more than once –there is also a time bar that can be used to rewind or fast forward.

Enjoy!

* Please be advised that the full tour takes approximately 2 hours and can be taken in parts. For more information, contact the gallery: 905-896-5088 or email agmcommons@gmail.com