Proof of Life
Curated by Chloe Gordon-Chow
Works by boring earth, Ernesto Cabral de Luna, Shannon Garden-Smith, and Jenine Mars
September 10, 2025–June 19, 2026
Wednesday, September 10, 4pm–6pm
Jackman Humanities Institute
170 St. George Street, 10th Floor
In a world pushed to its limit, it would appear we are teetering on the edge of apocalypse. Projecting into the future is a daunting task amidst dystopian realities. The continuity of this world necessitates the systemic and strategic destruction of other possible worlds. By continuing to aspire to an inherently violent and colonial world order, what futures are we denying ourselves? Perhaps it would make more sense to imagine apocalypse guaranteed: the end of this world as we know it.
Inhabiting dystopia, Proof of Life explores material debris from the end of the world, considering the aftermath of our present-day ruin. Using archival matter and found or foraged objects, the artworks in the exhibition bear traces and remnants of the present, speaking to a not-so-distant future. Featuring sculpture, installation, photography, and participatory art, the exhibition captures multiple dimensions of and attitudes towards wreckage. It asks, what does it mean to imagine an “after”? In answer, four artists speculate, play, and explore alternate possibilities for worlding amidst decay. Exhibiting works by Ernesto Cabral de Luna, boring earth, Shannon Garden-Smith, and Jenine Marsh, Proof of Life contends with “the end” as both an inevitability and a site of reconfiguration and becoming.
This exhibition is presented by the Art Museum in conjunction with the Jackman Humanities Institute’s 2025–26 annual theme, “Dystopia and Trust.”
Exhibition Resources
Opening Reception
Wednesday, September 10, 4pm–6pm
Jackman Humanities Institute
Curatorial Tour
Friday, October 3, 12–1pm
Jackman Humanities Institute
Registration is required.
Our Supporters
We gratefully acknowledge operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, with additional project support from the Jackman Humanities Institute.
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The exhibition is open to the public during regular business hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm. Please call the Jackman Humanities Institute at 416-978-7415 ahead of your visit to make sure that all works are accessible. Since the JHI is a working space, some rooms may be in use. For more information, visit the JHI’s website.
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Image: Ernesto Cabral de Luna, La Vida en Tres Quebradas / Trocitos de Memoria, 2025. Wooden plinth, light table, emulsion lifts onto various pieces of broken colored glass, shattered windshield. Photo courtesy of the artist.
