Edward Poitras, 1885 (1993). Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services
When you hear stories about climate change, do you tend to tune out? Or are you, like many young people, seeing how climate change is starting to affect you directly? Are you tired of feeling powerless? Are you ready to tune back in?
In September, the National Arts Centre (NAC) is launching its 2024–25 season with SPHERE 2024, a multi-disciplinary festival with performances, talks and visual art exploring the impact of human presence on the natural world with a focus on water. In Deep: Reflections on Grief and the Climate Crisis is a free exhibition curated by Amy Abraham, with a selection of artwork from the Art Bank collection. Featuring works by Edward Poitras, Norval Morrisseau, Katherine Knight, Sandra Meigs, Bill Vazan, Susan Bustin and Pudlo Pudlat, the exhibition considers climate change as a symptom of the symbiotic yet toxic relationship between humankind and Mother Earth.
Below, Amy Abraham provides insight into the selection of artwork and how she sees art contributing to the climate change discussion.
How did the idea of creating an exhibition on climate grief from a young generation’s perspective come about?
The exhibition is part of a larger festival at the National Arts Centre, SPHERE 2024, that centres on climate change and water. As I pored over the Canada Council for the Arts collection, I thought about how water gives us life, but how it can also take lives through powerful floods and a lack of access to clean drinking water. I did more research and somehow felt both frustrated at politicians implementing so-called “green initiatives” while continuing to support pipelines that pollute Mother Earth and hopeful because of the scientists, activists and grassroots organizations who continue to spearhead initiatives and spread awareness. This exhibition was borne out of those two emotions: frustration and hope. I think this is something that people of all ages—but those from Generation Z in particular—struggle with. For many, the frustration wins out and ultimately leads to grief, depression and climate apathy. Rather than shying away from either emotion, I wanted this exhibition to embody both and facilitate dialogue across generations and with Mother Earth.
How does this exhibition contribute to the climate change discussion? How do you think art, more broadly, can contribute to that discussion?
While I wanted to be true to the emotions and despair felt by younger generations, I think that more intergenerational collaboration has to happen in climate change activism. In Deep serves as a reminder that whether we deny climate change or fight for the planet, the changing climate will affect us all. It was crucial for me that the works of Indigenous artists and women were centred in the exhibition, as they are the most often ignored and oppressed in artistic and scientific spaces. Across time and space, art has been used as a powerful vehicle for social change, both as a way for artists to express their grief and to spur others into action.
Norval Morrisseau, The Silver Curse (1966–68)
Sandra Meigs, Mary take the child; the river’s rising. Muddy water changing all I know. (1993)
Is there a particular work of art that brings out the key themes of the exhibition?
Norval Morrisseau’s The Silver Curse is an ink-on-paper work that serves as a cautionary tale for all of us. Depicting the legend of the spirit of deep sea water Nanajibou, according to which Nanajibou gifted the Ojibway the location of the richest silver mine in the North and was then petrified into the Sleeping Giant once the secret was shared with intruders, the powerful imagery and motifs remind us of the consequences of our destruction of Mother Earth. Sandra Meigs’ Mary take the child; the river’s rising. Muddy water changing all I know. is a visually striking painting that explores loss and the effects of rising water levels. It depicts a landscape that Meigs’ has watched transform over time due to climate change. Both works of art contribute to discussions on climate change and represent key themes of the exhibition.
How to tune in
In Deep: Reflections on Grief and the Climate Crisis is on view daily from September 7 to 25, 2024, in the NAC’s Canal Lobby. You can also register for a Walking Tour event taking place on September 12 with Jaime Morse and Pinock Smith. If you are a curator and would like to know more about how to borrow artwork through the Art Bank loan program, you can reach out to the Art Bank team.
About the Curator: Amy Abraham
Amy Abraham is an emerging curator and historian. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University in History and Art History and is passionate about uplifting underrepresented voices. In Deep: Reflections on Grief and the Climate Crisis is her first exhibition. The research, writing and conversations involved in preparing In Deep have quelled her climate apathy. She hopes the exhibition can do the same for you.