Even though Summer vacation is coming to an end and we must all head back to work and school, there are still some amazing upcoming events to be enjoyed in the city! Check out the list below to see what August has in store for Torontonians!
2—Sept 1: Kent Monkman: Miss Chief’s Praying Hands
Project Gallery presents the solo exhibition of celebrated Canadian artist Kent Monkman entitled Miss Chief’s Praying Hands. Monkman is of Cree ancestry and his body of work is defined by provocative reinterpretations of romantic North American landscapes. Themes of colonization, sexuality, loss, and resilience—all complexly intertwined with historic and contemporary Indigenous experience—are explored in a variety of mediums, including painting, film/video, performance, and installation. His gender fluid alter-ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle appears in his work, reversing and challenging the colonial gaze and upending received notions of history and Indigenous people.
3—Oct 14: ZimSculpt
Held at Toronto Botanical Garden, this outdoor African art exhibition showcases stone sculptures by many contemporary Zimbabwean artists. Chiseled, hand-carved, sanded, and polished, these sculptures draw upon a plethora of inspiration and range from dramatic modern design praised by Henry Moore, to more contemplative “village” pieces that capture African life. During the run of the exhibition, two artists-in-residence will be live-sculpting, and all displayed work, including work created during the event, will be available for purchase.
10—17: Mulan International Film Festival 2018: Seeing China, one film at a time
In its first year, Mulan International Film Festival 2018 is an eight-day festival dedicated to showcasing Chinese-language films and historically significant films about China. Through film screenings and on-stage interviews, the event hopes to present a more extensive and nuanced image of historical and modern China that may be lacking from the Western perspective. The festival consists of three programs: China Retrospective, which features films made by acclaimed directors that reflect the development and changes of modern China since the early 20th century; Made by Women, featuring films made by female filmmakers and/or those with powerful female protagonists; and Portraits of the Young, consisting of pioneering films made by emerging and bold filmmakers. For more information on this event be sure to click the link!
11: Opening | Emergence – A Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition
Emerging Young Artists and Beijing Hanwei International Art Centre are pleased to announce Emergence, A Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibition featuring eight contemporary Chinese artists at the Toronto Center for the Arts. Within the exhibited work, the participating artists explore the relationships between the parts and the whole on several different levels: the human versus nature (Li Wang), personal memory and how it relates with collective memory (Li Hongbo and Zhang Chunhua), the relationship between the spirit and the body (Zhou Song), how the particular relates with the universal and vice-versa (Wang Fei and Jia Xinyu), and the complex dialogue between visual form, perception, content, and interpretation (Yang Shuwen and Jia Shanguo). As the first exhibition of its kind in Toronto, it will allow audiences to see different forms of Chinese art—not just beautiful ink calligraphy but rather artwork made with the most disparate mediums by artists who are representative of a country that, for the best or the worst, is abreast of the times and maybe even ahead of it.
12: Zine Dream 11
Back for its eleventh year, Zine Dream is a small press art fair held in Toronto, Ontario. It will feature over 80 vendors selling self published books, comics, music, zines, hand made crafts, prints & much more! Held at Polish Combatants’ Hall, this is an annual tradition art lovers won’t want to miss!
18: Frida Kahlo – Game Changers
Chronicling the life of celebrated Mexican painter Frida Kahlo at the height of the Mexican Revolution, this film explores the artist’s radical and deeply personal work that reflected the anguish she suffered following a brutal car accident, years of traumatic surgery, and endless heartache. The film is shot at the Blue House in San Angel she called home and pieces together archival images and soul-stirring music to paint an intimate portrait of one of the most avant-garde artists of the twentieth century.
19: Jiro Dreams of Sushi – Game Changers
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a beloved documentary of the renowned master sushi chef Jiro Ono, who at the age of 85 continues to inspire with his pursuit of perfection. Ono owns Sukiyabashi Jiro, a three-star Michelin rated restaurant humbly located in a Tokyo subway station. Chronicling his life from his extraordinary success in the culinary world to his complicated relationship with his sons, the film delves deep into all aspects of Jiro’s life and craft with delectable style and detail.
19: Ritual Readings
Curated and moderated by Amy Wong of Angry Asian Feminist Gang and Whitney French, Ritual Readings will feature local BIPOC non-binary, trans women, and cis women writers and artists. The event will engage in the practice of remembering past voices, thus bringing to life a long legacy of feminist literature. Readers include Rain Chan, Thea Lim, a collective from Story Reno Studio, and our very own Natalie Wee.
30—Sept 2: African Fashion Week Toronto
This one-of-a-kind event is home to the top most influential afro-inspired designers and emerging design talent in Canada and from around the world. African Fashion Week Toronto creates an excellent opportunity for brands to receive unparalleled exposure, connect directly with their target market, and build relationships with regional and worldwide audiences. A must on our summer bucket list, we’re looking forward to a show that will improve public understanding and appreciation of the African Fashion industry and support its overall growth in Canada and the Diaspora.
This list was compiled by Aliya Ghare