As you walk into the corner exhibition space on the Mezzanine level of the National Gallery of Canada, you are met with the words “THINGS WHICH ARE PER SE CONTINUOUS,” painted in bright blue above the corridor. It is these words, penned by late artist Lawrence Weiner, that echo throughout the newest exhibit at the gallery.
Running from July 11 to Dec. 14, the exhibit honours the past and present of contemporary art and attempts to serve as a bridge between the art form and the public.
Featuring 11 conceptual contemporary works by 13 international artists, all donated to the museum by Winnipeg philanthropist Michael Nesbitt, each installation works as a broader conversation, building off of the concepts featured in each work. The exhibit asks the question: “What is missing in our story?” and answers it with minimalist works, harkening back to the era of art culture in New York in the 1960s and 70s, when minimalism began to erupt.
THINGS WHICH ARE PER SE CONTINUOUS at the National Gallery of Canada. Photo: Daria Maystruk
“In this context, Weiner’s words might be read as a model for the act of creativity itself: a specific and intentional act interwoven within a much larger and ongoing history of art and ideas,” reads a press release from the gallery.
Both casual enjoyers of art and connoisseurs will have something to enjoy in this exhibit. Paired with extended labels, a couple guided tours of the new exhibit, and a few chances to meet with the collector, the gallery is providing more and more ways to make art accessible for everyone.
Do I Know You by Theaster Gates features bound editions of Jet Magazine to create a cultural reflection on the power of the written word. At the National Gallery of Canada. Photo: Daria Maystruk.
The exhibit also serves as a reminder to the public that the gallery is not just a museum, but also a collector of fine art, according to Jonathan Shaughnessy, Director of Curatorial Initiatives at the National Gallery. Shaughnessy says these exhibits are some of the ways the gallery honours the collectors who have the means to donate to the institution.
“I was thrilled to be able to develop this presentation that acknowledges the vision of a collector whose impulses to connect modern and contemporary art in meaningful ways aligns perfectly with our goal to work towards ever more comprehensive and representative art histories,” says Shaughnessy. “Through this donation, the Gallery adds a number of new voices to the collection that are contextualized here through a dialogue charting threads of influence, exchange—and even the occasional disagreement!—cast in and between multiple generations and perspectives.”
Richard Tuttle’s Prong, 25 uses every day materials such as chicken wire, showcasing his fascination with language. At the National Gallery of Canada. Photo: Daria Maystruk
Nesbitt, the donor for this exhibit, began collecting art in university, when his younger sister gifted him a cheque with the express purpose of starting his collection. Fast forward to today — Nesbitt, now 90 years old, has had an ongoing relationship with the gallery since 2022. His collection at the gallery is now valued at around $9 million.
Some of the artists featured in the collection include Agnes Martin, Donald Judd, Richard Tuttle, Anne Truitt, and Daniel Buren.
Together, the exhibit becomes a display reflecting the influence and legacy of art collection.
THINGS WHICH ARE PER SE CONTINUOUS continues at the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Dr.) until Dec. 14.
As part of the Free Thursday Nights presented by BMO, the public will have the opportunity to Meet the Collector Michael Nesbitt on Thursday, July 10, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm in the exhibition space (in C218, Mezzanine Level). On Saturday, July 12, visitors are invited to Meet the Curator Jonathan Shaughnessy, in the exhibition space to hear his insights on the works on display. In English from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and in French from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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