In this special event, artist Lisa Reihana will be in conversation with curator Julie Nagam about her artistic practice and thinking behind her artwork in Pursuit of Venus [infected].

Lisa Reihana is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice spans film, sculpture, costume and body adornment, text and photography. Since the 1990s she has significantly influenced the development of contemporary art and contemporary Māori art in Aotearoa New Zealand. Reihana represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale in 2017 with the large scale video installation in Pursuit of Venus [infected] (2015-17). The work goes on view in the AGO’s J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art September 21, 2019 and has been shown around the world and garnered widespread critical acclaim. 

Dr. Julie Nagam is Canadian Research Chair in Indigenous Arts, Collaboration and Digital Media and is an Associate Professor in the department of Art History at the University of Winnipeg. She was the former Chair of the History of Indigenous Arts of North America a joint appointment with the Winnipeg Art Gallery. In 2013 she curated Lisa Rehiana's new media installation,  in pursuit of venus as part of ImagineNATIVE Film and New Media festival. Her scholarship, curatorial and artistic practice has been featured nationally and internationally. Dr. Nagam is the Concordia University and Massey University (NZ) Scholar in Residence for 2018/19, and is building an Indigenous Research Centre of Collaborative and Digital Media Labs in Winnipeg, Canada. 

Presented in partnership with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

A related exhibition of Lisa Reihana's work at 259 Lakeshore Blvd. E is curated by Candice Hopkins and Tairone Bastien as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art. Visit torontobiennial.org for details.