The Contemporary Collection

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The AGO’s contemporary collection is actively transforming. Focusing on international artists since 1960 and Canadian artists since 1990, the collection includes painting, sculpture, immersive installation, works on paper, photography, performance, video, and sound art.

Many major post-1960s movements and onwards are represented in the collection, including Pop Art, Minimalism, Post-minimalism, and Arte Povera, with works by Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Jim Dine, Robert Indiana, George Segal, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Dan Flavin, Robert Morris, John McCracken, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Luciano Fabro, Mario Merz, Jannis Kounellis, Giulio Paolini, Joseph Beuys, Richard Serra, Robert Smithson and Richard Long. Conceptual art is presented through artists like Daniel Buren, Hans Haacke, On Kawara, Lawrence Weiner, and Ian Wilson.

A key strength of European Neo-expressionism from the 1980s, with works by artists Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Georg Baselitz, and Jörg Immendorff. Other highlights from the decade are by Gilbert and George, Jack Goldstein, Mary Kelly, Cady Noland, and Nancy Spero.

The contemporary Canadian collection includes career-spanning works by Michael Snow, General Idea, Liz Magor, Geneviève Cadieux, Rebecca Belmore, and Stephen Andrews, alongside works by Jana Sterbak, Brian Jungen, Janice Kerbel, Micah Lexier, Duane Linklater, John Massey, Ken Lum, Luis Jacob, and Geoffrey Farmer.

Sculpture is another area of strength, with works by Mona Hatoum, Haegue Yang, Simon Starling, Doris Salcedo, Danh Vo, and Pierre Huyghe. Performance and time-based art are represented by Tino Segal, Kevin Beasley, Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff, Paul Chan, James Coleman, Stan Douglas, Theaster Gates, Mark Lewis, Steve McQueen, and Frances Stark.

Photography holdings include standout works by Scott McFarland, Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson, Jeff Wall, and artists of the Düsseldorf School.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION

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COLLECTION RESOURCES

Marvin Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre

Marvin Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre

This state-of-the-art facility is open to the public and dedicated to the study of prints, drawings and photographs. It houses a collection of over 70,000 works which date from the 13th century to the present day. Find out more about the AGO's prints and drawings collection.

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a lady wearing a dress and monocle

Image Licensing

Find the image you need from the Art Gallery of Ontario, one of the most distinguished art museums in North America. AGO Images licenses to scholarly and commercial clients worldwide. Be inspired by Tom Thomson, James Tissot, Kennth Noland, Walter Trier and many more amazing artists.

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artworks from the AGO collection in Fudger Rotunda gallery

Requests for Loans

The Art Gallery of Ontario is committed to broadening access to its collections and supporting educational initiatives that promote a new understanding of art, through a program of outgoing loans. 

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Conservation team and curators examining an artwork

Conservation at the AGO

Conservation is the care and protection of cultural objects. As the caretakers of collections, conservators examine, research, clean and repair artworks, while also taking action to prevent future deterioration. Here at the AGO, the Conservation Team includes conservators, mat makers, framers and mount makers. These specialists work together to ensure each work will look its best not only for today, but also for generations to come.

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Jan Asselijn, Landscape with Ancient Ruins

Provenance Research Project

The AGO is committed to investigating the provenance of works in its permanent collection, particularly as it pertains the ownership history of European painting and sculpture during the 1933–45 period. The purpose of this is to increase awareness and understanding of the spoliation of works of art by the Nazis and others.

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a number of objects on display

The AGO's Deaccessioning Policy

The Art Gallery of Ontario cares for its collections according to the highest standards. Its resources should only be devoted to works of art that serve its mission and are worthy of such care. This occasionally demands that works be judiciously and carefully deaccessioned from the collections. The proceeds from this are reinvested in new works of art.

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O'Brien's the Ocean's Bride

Artefacts Canada

Thanks to the important contribution of this country's heritage institutions, the Artefacts Canada database contains close to 4 million object records and approximately 800,000 images from Canadian museums.

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