Brian Jungen Opens at Art Gallery of Ontario

×

Expand

Brian Jungen Friendship Centre at AGO

Brian Jungen's show, Friendship Centre, on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario until Aug. 25, includes Air Jordan sneakers transformed into masks, golf bags into totems, a whale skeleton made of patio chairs and a gallery resembling a gymnasium.

The internationally renowned Indigenous artist, who is based in the North Okanagan in the B.C. Interior, is known for his unique approach to sculpture and large-scale installations made from everyday objects. The show, curated by Kitty Scott, includes a broad range of work, including painting, drawing and film, and also offers a look into his personal archive.  

Jungen explores a long history of cultural inequality, a concern for the environment and a profound commitment to Indigenous ways of knowing and making.

“With Friendship Centre, Brian is asking us to imagine the AGO as an important Indigenous space," says Scott. "Gymnasiums — open and multipurpose — are crucial hubs on reserves. Friendship centres located in major cities perform a different but related purpose. Both are important gathering spaces, and the exhibition reflects that.” 

Jungen’s monumental installation Furniture Sculpture (2006), will be on view from July 5 to July 23. A teepee made of skinned leather sofas, it is 27 feet high and 22 feet in diameter.  

Source: Art Gallery of Ontario