With the Seasons

Project Spotlight: Eight Contemporary Artists Respond to the Avataq Cultural Institute Sculpture Collection.

Indigenous Sovereignty Ch’i cha jų̃ kwa’ch’e ch’i cha jų̃ kwa’ch’e
A photograph shows three people on a rocky Arctic shoreline. The figure at left is bent down to pick something up near the water’s edge. The two figures at right stand upright.

From May 6 to 28, 2022, The McClure Gallery, in collaboration with Avataq Cultural Institute presents With the Seasons, an exhibition curated by asinnajaq. In this exhibition, the curator has brought together the works of eight contemporary artists to dialogue with works from the rich sculpture collection of the Avataq Cultural Institute. The work of Nunavik artists presents their reflections through many mediums such as sculpture, print, drawing, photography, and video. The works make palpable this sensibility that we all have with the different seasons. Indeed, we live and feel the daily variations of the seasons but this is also reflected in our mind, our imagination. 

A photograph shows three people on a rocky Arctic shoreline. The figure at left is bent down to pick something up near the water’s edge. The two figures at right stand upright.
Lucasi Kiatainaq, Family Harvest (2020). COURTESY AVATAQ.

 

 

Naluturuk Weetaluktuk’s photographs, imbued with great poetry, capture an impermanent state of things in perpetual renewal, while Lucasi Kiatainaq’s colourful photographs testify to the beauty of daily activities. An exhibition catalog co-produced by the McClure Gallery and the Avataq Cultural Institute will accompany this exhibition.

A sculpture of a mosquito made from seal skin, glass, and tread facing the viewer on long bendy legs
Untitled (1980). COLLECTION: AVATAQ CULTURAL INSTITUTE. PHOTO: MARIE-CHRISTINE COUTURE.

Visit the McClure Gallery site to learn more about the exhibition and view images of the projects included. 

Artists: Aisa Alaasuaq Koperualuk, Evie Tullaugaq Qamugaaluk Koperqualuk, Joe Talirunili, Jobie Qavavauq Iqaluk, Lucasi Kiatainaq, Lucy Aullaq Uppatitsiaq Weetaluktuk, The Ivujivik Collective (Louisa Kanarjuak , Passa Mangiuk, Lyne Bastien, Qumaq M. Iyaituk), Thomassie Mangiok, Tuumasi Kudluk and Victoria Okpik.

Curator biography

asinnajaq is a visual artist, filmmaker, writer and curator from Inukjuak, Nunavik, and based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). asinnajaq’s practice is grounded in research and collaboration, which includes working with other artists, friends and family. Her short film Three Thousand was nominated for Best Short Documentary at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Her video and installation work was part of various exhibition in art galleries and film festivals around the world. She is one of the Sobey Art Award recipients in 2020.

asinnajaq curated an exhibition of Elisapee Inukpuk dolls at the FOFA Gallery in 2019 in collaboration with the Avataq Cultural Institute. She was also part of the curatorial team for the Canadian Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and the curatorial team behind INUA, the inaugural exhibition of Qaumajuq (Winnipeg Art Gallery).

This story is part of the Nunavik Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.