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Rebecca Belmore : Bloodcurdling Beauty R a c h e l S u k m a n –––Exhibitions Toronto Rebecca Belmore : Facing the Monumental ) Art Gallery of Ontario ) AGO Curator : Wanda Nanibush 11 July – 21 October 2018 Photos : Craig Boyko , Ian Lefebvre , Dean Tomlinson , Sean Weaver , unless indicated otherwise Rebecca Belmore does not ignore her Anishinaabe origins , giving them an honest , painful expression in some of her works . These are festively featured throughout all spaces on the 5 th fl oor of the impressive Art Gallery of Ontario , a building designed by architect Frank Gehry in downtown Toronto . An internationally - renowned multidisciplinary artist , Belmore ’ s works are rooted in the social and political realities of indigenous communities Rebecca Belmore , Anishinaabekwe , was born in Upsala , northern Ontario , in 1960 . She lives and works in Vancouver . As member of Lac Seul First Nation , she is active with the indigenous people of Canada , who have been forgotten by the government and su ff er discrimination by the police . The title of Rebecca Belmore ’ s moving exhibition , “ Facing the Monumental , " was drawn from a performance she staged at Queen ’ s Park on Canada Day ) July 1 ( 2012 , attesting to her “ desire to express politics through poetic gestures and beautiful images , " as noted in the press release . In 2017 , Belmore participated in Documenta 14 in Athens . Sensitive to immigrants and refugees , who undergo journeys of endless wandering across the sea , from Greece and the Middle East to Europe , she opted for a single metaphor to recount their trials and tribulations : a marble tent entitled Biinjiya ’ iing Onji ) From Inside , 2017 ( . Interestingly , the marble used in the work originated in the same quarry as the one used to build the Acropolis in Athens . The choice of a tent is not accidental , opening up a multifaceted , intricate discussion of the meaning of the tent in culture and history in the 21 st century . Can it be regarded as a mere work of art whose shape is borrowed from everyday life ? As a temporary form of residence ? Perhaps as a signi fi er of con fl ict , indicating transient stability ? As a symbol of wandering which results in instability , lack of protection , lack of belonging , and insecurity – components which are vital for maintaining a stable life ? Concurrently , the tent also alludes to a form of dwelling customary for centuries , and even millennia . Even today there are wandering tribes for whom the tent is a permanent home , only its location changes from time to time . Belmore , on her part , chose to sculpt her tent in marble , which disallows wandering . It has been a while since a work of art made me freeze in place , as did Fringe , which made me want to draw closer and closer to the bloodcurdling beauty embedded in it . If only for this work , the exhibition was worth visiting . According to curator , Wanda Nanibush ,
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