A SPACE GALLERY: Enacting Emancipation: James Luna, Emily Jacir, Erica Lord, John Halaka. June 28th

 A SPACE GALLERY presents

Enacting Emancipation
James Luna, Emily Jacir, Erica Lord, John Halaka
Exhibition runs June 28 - August 2, 2008
Opening Saturday June 28 from 4-7 pm
Artist panel discussion 4-5pm
Reception 5-7pm
Curated by Tannis Nielsen and Vicky Moufawad-Paul
Performance of Artifact Piece Revisited by Erica Lord during the Reception
Free event at A Space Gallery, refreshments will be served

When engaging with the similarity of colonial oppression between the Indigenous peoples of North America and Palestine, the late Edward Said stated that the task at hand was “to universalize the crisis, to give greater human scope to what a particular race or nation suffered, to associate that experience with the suffering of others.” Enacting Emancipation was born from this intention.

This study of the interconnectedness of the First Nations and Palestinian experience was inspired by the sixtieth-year memorial of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe of 1948). The exhibition unravels a universal and international system of colonial technique and strategy, while remaining fully cognizant of the dangers in homogenizing resistant cultures. The curators sought contrast in defining strategies of resistance, which elucidated the fact that the differences of defense were culturally based and inheritably Indigenous.

Together the artists in this exhibition—James Luna, Emily Jacir, Erica Lord, and John Halaka—signify the individualized experiences of Fourth World peoples who have been stripped of context, denied distinction, and disenfranchised from traditional territories. Together they present an immediacy of need in defending land and citizenry, the recognition of sovereignty, and their personal engagements in the quest for freedom.

For up to date information on the exhibition please check
http://www.aspacegallery.org/news.html
and
http://www.aspacegallery.org/programming.html

A Space Gallery gratefully thanks the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Established in 1971 as one of the first not-for-profit, artist-run centres, A Space Gallery's mandate encompasses the investigation, presentation and interpretation of contemporary and experimental art forms. We are committed to programming critical and politically engaged work that is oriented around non-dominant communities and crosses disciplines, cultures, abilities, gender and sexual orientation as well as work in new media and technologies.

A Space Gallery
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Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11 AM - 6 PM, Saturday 12 noon - 5 PM