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Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War

Video still of woman in doorway

Works by:

Bureau d’etudes, Dominique Blain, Paul Chan, Köken Ergun, Jamelie Hassan, Kristan Horton, Abdel-Karim Khalil, Anri Sala, Sean Snyder, Ron Terada, Maja Bajevic, Harun Farocki, Omer Fast, Kendell Geers, Johan Grimonprez, Annie MacDonell, Sonja Savic

Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War

January 17–March 2, 2008

Curated by Séamus Kealy

Justina M. Barnicke Gallery

Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War is an interdisciplinary project exploring contemporary art’s relationship to war and its representations. As a collaboration between two University of Toronto galleries, this project includes an exhibition of international artists at the Blackwood Gallery and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery.

“Listen — it’s not a war where you’re driving and shooting the whole day. It’s sort of relaxed. Some days you do nothing. You do twelve hours and then go to sleep in your room. Not every day you’re there something happens. Not every second is there something happening. Sometimes you’re just there. Sometimes they put you somewhere for nothing. Once they positioned me behind a tree. We’re being shot at and there’s nothing you can do. You’re positioned behind a tree. For nothing. Because certain people felt good about it. About your being there. You understand? They put you in all sorts of places: Dangerous places. Not dangerous places. As long as you’re doing something.”
– An excerpt from Omer Fast’s A Tank Translated, 2002. 4 channel video with sound. Courtesy of Postmasters, New York; gb Agency, Paris; and Arratia, Beer, Berlin.

Opening Reception

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery

Lecture

Religion as Medium
Thursday January 24, 2008, 4pm
Featuring Boris Groys
Music Room, Hart House

Symposium

Friday January 25, 2008, 2:15-8pm
MiST Theatre, Room 0150
CCT Building, University of Toronto Mississauga

Curator’s Tours with Séamus Kealy

Sunday February 3, 2008, 3:45pm
Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:45pm
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery

Media Coverage

Our Supporters

We gratefully acknowledge the operating support of the Canada Council for the Arts with addition project support from the Ontario Arts Council, the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto, the Centre for Studies of the United States, the Institute of Communication and Culture, Office of the Vice-Principal/Research (UTM), the Centre for Visual and Media Culture, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Consulate-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and UTM Residence Life.

Title Image: Installation view of Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War, 2008. Image credit: Toni Hafkenscheid.

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