See the future before it’s too late

If the future is now – and there’s no time like the present – then now’s definitely the time to see Hito Steyerl: This is the future. There’s less than a week left before it closes, so get to the AGO before this thought-provoking exhibition is a thing of the past. 

Steyerl’s politically charged, video-based works have been a hit. If you need more motivation, here’s what critics and visitors had to say after diving into the interconnected world of internationally acclaimed, contemporary artist Hito Steyerl.

NOW Toronto called the show “sprawling and spellbinding,” writing that “many of the issues we agonized over – the loss of privacy, the rise of fascism, climate change, wars and taxes – are touched on in pieces both expansive and immediate.”

And while that may sound very serious, writer Sue Carter from the Toronto Star notes that Steyerl’s work also uses humour and an upbeat soundtrack to “cheekily reassure” viewers. Carter goes on to reassure us that while the exhibition contains political subject matter, it still remains “experimental and experiential, intellectual but accessible.”

For its part, the Toronto Guardian saw the many layers present in each of Steyerl’s pieces, saying “Hito continues to grab global attention with her work that’s both playful and frightening” and praising the exhibition that “…made me pause and think.”

The writers at NUVO Magazine thought the community-based artwork Freeplots is a stand out. The only piece that doesn’t feature video, Freeplots is a collaborative project between Hito Steyerl and the Milky Way Community Garden in the Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale. “By introducing a Toronto-specific, living art piece to the AGO, the German Steyerl ties her body of work to the city.”

And the city loves it too! Take a look at some of the social media posts of visitors from Toronto and beyond interacting with the built environments of Steyerl’s work.

Don’t let this powerful exhibition pass you by. With less than a week left, stop by the AGO and take in each work by world-renowned, contemporary artist Hito Steyerl, on view until February 23.

Admission to the AGO Collection and all special exhibitions is always free for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass holders and visitors 25 and under.