Carnival: the Spirit and the Soul

May 21, 2009 - October 11, 2009

Previous Exhibition

 

Carnival: The Spirit and the Soul is a multi-media exhibition that uses theatrical narrative and the mask as an element of storytelling, common to virtually every world culture. Many festivals based on European Carnival are seasoned with elements of indigenous Caribbean and South American culture and native African cultures during the New World’s colonial history. Where Carnival exists today, it is a rich mixture of caustic and often humourous social criticism of today’s society. From Venetian Carnival to Toronto’s Caribana, the evolution is complex but evident. In today’s multicultural Canadian society, the possibilities for the further extension of these art forms hold immense potential.

 

Carnival: The Spirit and The Soul link the Carnival tradition with contemporary critical practice of the contemporary artist through the medium of the mask. The contemporary artist often dons the mask of trickster or critic. Some use the mask metaphorically, others use actual masks in a more traditional way to enhance endow a character, point of view or theme with contemporary relevance.

The curators, Teodoro Dragonieri and Christopher Jackson have included a range over 200 works including carnival and theatrical masks, photography, and mixed media works. Many works relate to concepts of the mask as metaphor, transformative medium and physical object. The goal is to engage the viewer and prompt a dialogue about the evolution and continued social relevance of the Carnival tradition and its parallels with today’s artistic practice.

 

Works by: Mieke Bevelander, Jeffrey Chock
Paola Consiglio, Esther Dragonieri, Teodoro Dragonieri, Robert Faust, Franco Fontana Claudio Ghirardo, Heather Kent & Students of Humber College, Trish Leeper Susan Low-Beer, Robert Paquette & Students of Sheridan College, Vincenzo Pietropaolo, Michael Semak, Ras Stone

 

Teodoro Dragonieri, Curator/Artist
Teodoro Dragonieri is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator who has initiated, developed and co-ordinated many popular and critically acclaimed arts programs for museums, arts organizations, inner-city youth, and developmentally challenged individuals.

He has presented lectures/workshops and has exhibited extensively across North America and Europe. He is co-founder and artistic director of Zanni Arte, a company dedicated to promoting the use of masks in theatre and education.

Teodoro has worked for the National Arts Centre, Soulpepper Theatre Company’s Mentorship and Youth Outreach Programs, Theatre Ontario Adult/Youth Courses, Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology, Sears Ontario Drama Festival, Tarragon Theatre Educators/Youth Outreach Programs, Second City Theatre Company and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

 

Christopher Jackson, Curator
A curator, teacher and arts manager with broad experience in museums, colleges and public art galleries across Canada over the past 30 years. Jackson has curated for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Glenbow Museum, Latcham Gallery and the Varley Art Gallery among others. His extensive teaching and lecturing has taken him across the country including McMaster University, University of Calgary, Sheridan College and Laurentian University. His previous curatorial efforts at the Varley Art Gallery were The Thornhill Circle: The Legacy of J.E.H MacDonald, A.J. Casson: Behind the Scenes, and Childhood Revisited.