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"A Bit of Better G20 Art News: ADAC Installing at Convention Centre & Deerhurst Resort"

6 Comments -

1 – 6 of 6
Blogger sally said...

I was in the audience at an order of canada investiture in Rideau Hall earlier in the spring. It was weird being in downtown Ottawa with banners celebrating war dangling from all the poles. Then into the GG residence where a GIANT Morriseau graces the wall in the uber-princessy ballroom. So gorgeous...my jaw was dropping in a Wow-art-is-cool kind of way. Then after the ceremony they opened up the place so people could wander around and look at all the amazing art on loan from National Gallery and Art Bank. Each room showing major works, lots contemporary, with educated docents and pamphlets with bios and blurbs on all artists. The whole thing was so weird oddly gendered, like great Canadian art belongs in the gracious, private girly home of the GG but our PM can't bring himself to acknowledge its value in any kind of public way. Would be wonderful to see some solid federal endorsement at G20. but at the same time its a weird uncomfortable feeling of complicity. artists-as-national-treasures. it all makes me itchy.

June 18, 2010 at 11:59 AM

Anonymous Anonymous said...

nice that ADAC Foundation will receive a financial contribution - but word has it the artist's presenting works will get no exhibition fee

June 18, 2010 at 2:27 PM

Blogger Leah Sandals said...

Hey guys,

Thanks for your comments.

Yes, anonymous, I had wondered about the artist fee. That's sad to hear.

Sally, wow, I can't imagine how art looks in these governmental spaces. And yes, I think I can see how the issue of complicity is an icky and tricky one. I think sometimes it depends on the pointedness of the art. Can you imagine some Laurence Paul Yuxweluptun or Carol Conde and Karl Beveridge work at the summit venues? I think that would be amazing, and pretty hard to read as supportive of the status quo, regardless of context.

On the GG front specifically, I've been struck how supportive she is of the arts compared to the PM. I've posted or tweeted before about her "Art Matters" initiative (http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=58) something I suspect the PM would never get close to. In a way, it sucks that her power is mainly symbolic, but at the same time I'm glad she uses it to support this cause even when the PM has been so clearly opposed.

June 19, 2010 at 12:10 PM

Blogger sally said...

There is a pretty great series of photos on the installation of the Morriseau here. The juxtaposition of the painting with the princess party decor is just so surreal, but it works.

June 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Blogger Leah Sandals said...

Hey Sally,
Cool, yes I think I saw some install shots of that.
I wonder what will happen when the next GG comes in in the fall?

June 23, 2010 at 8:23 AM

Blogger Leah Sandals said...

Hey also just as an update, Andrea at View on Canadian Art has posted some pics related to the G8/G20 political-venue exhibition -

http://viewoncanadianart.com/2010/06/22/art-at-the-g8-and-g20-summits/

June 23, 2010 at 10:55 PM

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