September 21 – December 1, 2019
Hold Everything Dear takes a single visual form—the spiral—as a poetic starting point to reflect on the processes of upheaval in human experience. For Waheed, the spiral visualizes ascent and descent, growth and decay, evoking both vital forms in nature as well as notions of flux inherent in forced displacement and political turmoil.
Hold Everything Dear is presented by The Power Plant and on view September 21– January 9. A related installation by Waheed is on view at Small Arms Inspection Building.
Bio
Hajra Waheed (born in Calgary, Canada; lives in Montreal, Canada) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work ranges from interactive installations to collage, video, sound and sculpture. Among other issues, she explores the nexus between security, surveillance and the covert networks of power that structure lives while also addressing the traumas and alienation of displaced subjects affected by legacies of colonial and state violence. Hajra has participated in exhibitions worldwide, including at the 57th Venice Biennale (2017); the 11th Gwangju Biennale (2016); and at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (2016).
Exhibition Site
The Power Plant
In 1912, the Toronto Harbour Commission set out to transform the waterfront into a major port for larger vessels expected from the future expansion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The city expanded south, burying the original wharves under 10 meters of dirt dredged from the bottom of the lake. The original coal-burning powerhouse was built in 1926 but by the 1970s, with the decline of industry, the powerhouse was decommissioned. After the Harbourfront Corporation was founded in 1976, the Art Gallery at Harbourfront was established and became a centrepiece of their development plan. The Art Gallery was given the opportunity to renovate the powerhouse in 1980, and The Power Plant officially opened in its current location in 1987.
231 Queens Quay W.
Toronto ON
M5J 2G8