The magnetism of the north
Works by the Group of Seven and other Canadian modernists receive a warm welcome at Frankfurt’s Schrin Kunsthalle and inspire critical conversations.
Tom Thomson, The West Wind, 1916-1917. Oil on canvas, 120.7 × 137.9 cm. Gift of the Canadian Club of Toronto, 1926. © Art Gallery of Ontario.
More than a hundred years (and several COVID-related delays) after he painted The West Wind (1916–1917), Canadian painter Tom Thomson’s beloved landscape has made its debut in Germany. He’s just one of the more than 25 modern and contemporary Canadian artists making waves across the pond at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, in the much-lauded exhibition Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910–40. Co-organized by the AGO, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), it features 35 artworks from the AGO Collection.
No typical walk through the woods, the exhibition presents Canadian modernist painting through a contemporary lens, greeting visitors not with leaning trees or icebergs, but with films by Algonquin-French artist Caroline Monnet and Anishinaabe filmmaker Lisa Jackson. Reframing the sublime beauty of these paintings through the eyes of those erased by them, the exhibition encourages visitors to critically consider the lasting impact these idealized portraits of nature – which largely ignored cities, industry and Indigenous peoples – had.
“Magnetic North,” writes AGOAssistant Curator, Canadian Art, Renée van der Avoird, in her essay, “takes a nuanced look at Canadian history…The image of a solitary tree—often set against a darkening sky and threatening weather—has come to represent the settler mentality. Clinging to the Canadian Shield granite, the lone tree endures and even thrives in its rugged setting. The exhibition reveals how Canadian modernist painters employed romantically charged symbols, such as the northern lights or the single tree, elevating them to represent the 'new' nation.”
But while we may not be able to make the trip just yet, the Schirn’s extensive programming provides numerous ways for us to explore the exhibition virtually. Be sure to check out the following programming highlights:
Sie sprechen Deutsch? Then be sure to treat yourself to a guided tour through the exhibition with Schirn curator Martina Weinhart. No? Fear not, there are subtitles.
Then catch Weinhart in conversation with Georgiana Uhlyarik, Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art, in the AGO's Canadian and Indigenous Art Department, and co-curator of the exhibition here.
And don’t miss any episodes of the Schirn’s new podcast series, Critical Land, featuring artists and curators discussing Indigenous perspectives on art, nature, decolonization and climate change. The first episode is online now and features an interview with Lakota-Scottish art historian Carmen Robertson, on land versus landscape.
For even more, be sure to check out the Schirns Digitorial content and don’t miss the fantastic interviews with Lisa Jackson and Caroline Monnet, featured in the exhibition catalogue. Published by the Schirn and Prestel, the publication is edited by Martina Weinhart and Georgiana Uhlyarik, and features contributions by Jeff Thomas, Carmen Robertson and Ruth Phillips, Rebecca Herlemann, and Reneé van der Avoird. It is available in hardcover in English, German and French at ShopAGO.ca for $75.
Magnetic North Catalogue cover. Image courtesy of AGO.
Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910–1940 is co-organized by the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the National Gallery of Canada. This exhibition is provided within the context of Canada’s Guest of Honour presence at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2021.