April 5 – June 9, 2019

Remai Modern debuted Amalie Atkins’ most expansive film project to date on April 5. Amalie Atkins and The Diamond Eye Assembly is a trilogy of films that explore ancestral connectivity and the retrieval of distant memories.
 
Shot on 16 mm film and set in the rural community of Petrofka in the North Saskatchewan River Valley, Atkins’ fictional world comes alive through lyrical music and haunting narratives. A cast of female characters animates the landscape, a site of trauma and resilience, communicating with one another across time and connecting past to present. The installation at Remai Modern is comprised of three films shown on 16 mm and 35 mm projectors, giving the work a distinct visual and aural texture.
 
The exhibition is curated by Sandra Fraser, Curator (Collections).
 
“Amalie’s work is marked by a spirit of invention, which has been recognized widely throughout Canada and beyond,” said Fraser. “Her handmade aesthetic may look effortless but there’s an incredible amount of complexity in her work, where every detail is carefully considered. Remai Modern is thrilled to debut this project, which has been nearly a decade in the making, and to support the vision of an artist whose work showcases our region in ways that resonate both at home and much further afield.”
 
The exhibition is on view in Remai Modern’s free Connect Gallery until June 9.
 
The exhibition also coincides with the launch of Remai Modern’s first artist’s edition, an original screen print of Atkins’ creation that shines a light on her creative process. The screen print, derived from a collaged map Atkins’ created in reference to the trilogy of films, points to both fictional and real locations in Saskatchewan and provides clues about the topography, characters and action in her work. The limited, 50-edition run was printed by Michael Peterson from Saskatoon’s Void Gallery and consists of eight layers of hand-mixed archival ink on cotton rag paper. It is available for purchase in the museum’s Art & Design Store while supplies last.
 
Remai Modern’s presentation of Amalie Atkins and The Diamond Eye Assembly is made possible through the generous support of TD.