29 October 2011

Always Moving Forward Contemporary African Photography from the Wedge Collection Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohamed Camara, Calvin Dondo, Samuel Fosso, Hassan Hajjaj, Bouchra Khalili, Antony Kaminju Kimani, Lebohang Mashiloane, Aȉda Muluneh, Dawit L. Petros, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Guy Tillim, Andrew Tshabangu, Nontsikelelo 'Lolo" Veleko Curated by Kenneth Montague
Dawit L. Petros, Proposition 1: Mountain, 66 x 86.4cm, digital print, 2007.
  • Exhibition: 03 November - 10 December 2011
  • Opening Reception + Curatorial Tour: Thursday 03 November, 7PM
  • Artist Talk with Dawit L. Petros @ The University of Manitoba School of Art: Monday 21 November, 12PM
  • Film Night with Alliance Française @ PLATFORM: Thursday 08 December, 7PM
Always Moving Forward features photo-based work by a diverse range of young African-born artists in Toronto's Wedge Collection. Curated by Ken Montague, this exhibition highlights a generation of global artists exploring different dimensions of the African imaginary and African spaces. Living and working across Africa, North America and Europe, their work points to the reality of African diasporic identities as being fluid, constantly in flux. These are artists who have turned to lens-based practices to open up a kind of critical "third space" countering the history of Western media as a purveyor of "Afro-pessimism." Their internationally acclaimed work also reflects the current shift away from the commercial studio portraiture that predominated in Africa in previous decades, to reveal an emphasis on conceptual art, documentary, fashion and street photography. The exhibition provides a glimpse at how emerging technologies, transitioning landscapes, rampant globalization and forces of capitalism including the influence of advertising and new media is rapidly changing the continent and people. - Pamela Edmonds.
Kenneth Montague is an art collector and curator based in Toronto, Canada. Founder and director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, he began collecting and exhibiting photo-based work that explored black identity and the African diaspora over ten years ago. The Wedge Collection has grown to encompass both historical and contemporary photography, as well as non-photo based works that challenge notions of representation and identity.
PLATFORM acknowledges the support of its membership, Board of Directors, staff, and partners in presentation. Operating and project assistance for PLATFORM programming is provided by: Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The Winnipeg Foundation, and The W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation. Platform would also like to acknowledge Alliance Française du Manitoba, Wedge Curatorial Projects and the University of Manitoba. For more information about this exhibition or other PLATFORM programming, please contact the Centre directly: PLATFORM | 121-100 Arthur Street [Artspace Building] | Winnipeg, Manitoba | R3B 1H3 | 204.942.8183 | www.platformgallery.org

04 October 2011

In partnership with send + receive: a festival of sound v. 13, PLATFORM is pleased to present:
ZIMOUN 150 prepared dc-motors, filler wire 1.0mm sound installation
  • Exhibition: October 06-29, 2011
  • Opening Reception: Thursday 06 October @ 7:30PM
"Zimoun breaks the distance we think exists between structure and chaos. Ordered, structured, and temporal-minded work enables the organic creation of noise by pared-down elements that evoke a Minimalist ethos. Though you stop to listen, you hear what you might have missed.
Planned and ordered mechanisms enable minimal materials to make the noise they happen to make. This causes us to think about what structure means for creative production. Does creative freedom benefit from planned organization?" - Kowtow blog
Zimoun, born 1977, is an installation and sound artist from Switzerland. Exploring mechanical rhythm and flow in prepared systems, the sculptures and sound architectures of Zimoun incorporate commonplace industrial objects. The pieces transform constructed acoustic electrical noises into reverberating ambient hums that resemble natural systems. The artist focuses on creating acoustic architecture with an organic feel, investigating the properties of sound, materials, resonance and generative systems.
  • In the past years Zimoun 's work has won several prizes and awards and have been exhibited and shown as live performances in numerous countries in Europe as well as in China, Singapore, Egypt, Canada and the US.

PLATFORM acknowledges the support of its membership, Board of Directors, staff, and partners in presentation. Operating and project assistance for PLATFORM programming is provided by: Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Arts Council, The Winnipeg Foundation, and the W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation and The Canada Council for the Arts. For more information, please contact the centre directly: PLATFORM | 121-100 Arthur Street [Artspace Building] | Winnipeg, Manitoba | R3B 1H3 | 204.942.8183 | www.platformgallery.org