Shezad Dawood

2019 Archive

Shezad Dawood (born and lives in London, UK) uses research and collaboration to inform his interdisciplinary work. His key concerns with marine ecology and the ethics of place recur across different projects including Leviathan (2017–): a multi-media work and public program. Both open-source resource and artwork, Leviathan is informed by biologists, oceanographers, and anthropologists to address climate change, migration, and mental health. Dawood’s works have won awards at biennials and film festivals, and his work features in collections including: LACMA, Los Angeles; Tate Modern, London; and British Museum, London.

Works

Shezad Dawood at MOCA

Location: Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (2019)

Episodes 1 and 5 of Leviathan Cycle, Dawood’s expanding video series, are on view at MOCA. Against the backdrop of a cataclysm, the videos traverse territories and themes, interrogating colonial and Indigenous politics. Alongside them, Part 1 of the Leviathan Legacy VR trilogy delves into a future 150 years ahead…

Shezad Dawood at 259 Lake Shore Blvd E

Location: 259 Lake Shore Blvd East

The latest installment of Dawood’s episodic video series, Leviathan Cycle, takes it cues from globalization, international trade, and the legal structures of maritime law set against the rights of the individual. Leviathan Cycle continues to grow each time it is exhibited, creating a dystopic future that is uncannily similar to…

Programs

Artist Talk with Shezad Dawood, Qavavau Manumie, and Candice Hopkins

Location: 259 Lake Shore Blvd East

This conversation is set amidst Episode 5 of Shezad Dawood’s Leviathan (2017–) film cycle and Qavavau Manumie’s depictions of Arctic wildlife and contemporary Inuit life. The artists address the relationships between their work in discussion with curator Candice Hopkins. Image Credit: Artist Talk with Shezad Dawood, Qavavau Manumie, and Candice Hopkins,…

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