Montreal artist Karilee Fuglem has created a new installation incorporating the Koffler Gallery’s unique curved walls and the daylight pouring in from uncovered skylights. Her research into the local geographic environment informs the work, examining how we intellectually and physically experience a place. here within our curving spaces links the site and time of the exhibition with the orbital pattern of the constellation Cygnus (The Swan) as located above Toronto on midsummer night.
Plotting the hourly overnight positions of The Swan, the artist wove fragile webs from nearly invisible strands between the ceiling and floor, creating an astral map that conjures up ethereal images of birds in flight. During a three-week residency on site, Fuglem incorporated these celestial elements into the Gallery’s architecture, while setting up networks of elastic thread echoing topographic features of the surrounding West Don River Valley. Visible only during daytime, the installation integrates the gradual shift of natural light to influence the visitor’s perception. Acknowledging both immediate and remote reference points, the work emphasizes the contrasting ways of experiencing distances within and outside of the body’s reach. Furthermore, by referencing a specific constellation and location, the exhibition also draws out the stories connected to them. These tales then become yet another means of relating to place. Ultimately, Fuglem’s work highlights the intricate process of finding our bearings and situating ourselves in our surroundings.
On view in the Koffler Gallery through July 13, 2008.
View the press release
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Tuesday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday 12 – 5 pm
Third Thursdays open late ‘till 8
Closed June 10, July 1 and Saturdays
Tours / Workshops
Gallery talks are free with regular guided tours every Sunday at 2:00 pm during exhibitions. Group tours and workshops in both French and English are also available. |