“It Is What It Is” – At the NGC till Sunday

Just a reminder: The Canadian biennial exhibition It Is What It Is: Recent Acquisitions of New Canadian Art is still on view at the National Gallery. But just until Sunday – so take your last chance!

My exhibition highlights in a very, very subjective point of view (with comments why I enjoyed them so much):

Rodney Graham, The Gifted Amateur, 2007: Because the artist stages himself in a room full of references to art history and pop culture, with lots of books lying around, carefully set up. He refers not only to great masters like Picasso, Klee, Miro; he also includes Erwin Panofsky's “Studies in Iconology”. Iconology, that's the key, ha!

James Carl, jalousie (bole), 2008: Because the meaning of his sculptures, made of Venetian blinds, is only revealed when you read the labels – so: READ THE LABELS! Just a hint: it has to do with the German and French word for these blinds...

Adad Hannah, All is Vanity (Mirrorless Version), 2009: Because this real-time video-recorded tableau vivant doesn't show a young woman in a mirror, but two identical twins. Yes, they are blinking, but not synchronously - which takes a while to realize.

Chris Millar, Bejeweled Double Festooned Plus Skull for Girls, 2009: This paint sculpture is as elaborate as its title. I love the little details in this fantastic-absurd factory – like “slippery when wet” warning signs and the collection of kitchy china plates!

Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay, Live to Tell, 2002: Because his video performance mediated by 16 kind-of-surveillance cameras deals with the search for self-identity and is in the same time hilarious.

I know, it would be great to actually see pictures of the artworks here, but I am not sure if I can use them because of copyrights. Therefore: Go and see the originals yourself! Some more artists are featured in this exhibition, like David Altmejd, Shuvinai Ashoona, Valérie Blass, Sarah Anne Johnson, Luanne Martineau, and Gareth Moore.

Facts: 
It Is What It Is. Recent Acquisitions of New Canadian Art
5 November 2010 - 10 April 2011
National Gallery, Special Exhibitions Galleries