Brian Jungen Friendship Centre
June 20 – August 25, 2019
Admission is always FREE for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass Holders & Visitors 25 and under. Learn more.
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
Brian Jungen Friendship Centre is an in-depth exploration of this internationally acclaimed artist’s approach to sculpture and the largest exhibition of his work to date. He has repeatedly worked with existing consumer products, reassembling them to make potent new forms. His recent Warrior sculpture series, made from Air Jordans, presents variations on Indigenous headdresses, while his Prototype for New Understanding series are made from Nike sneakers sewn together to resemble masks created by Northwest Coast peoples.
The AGO is featuring sculptures, paintings, drawings and installation work that spans Jungen’s entire career. His newly created works include Tombstone (2019), a sculpture resembling a giant turtle supported by a base of filing cabinets, alongside a director’s cut of Modest Livelihood (2019), a film he made with artist Duane Linklater that explores their relationship to the land through moose hunting. Furniture Sculpture (2006), a monumental tipi created from 11 leather sofas, will be on view in Walker Court from July 5 to 28.
The exhibition makes public for the first time material from Jungen’s archive, offering viewers access into the artist’s working process, giving visitors deeper insight into how he thinks and creates.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario
Generous Support
Generous Support
Generous Assistance
Generous Assistance
Greg & Susan Guichon
Nancy McCain & Bill Morneau
Nadir & Shabin Mohamed
Sabourin Family Foundation
Donald R. Sobey Foundation
The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation
Government Partner
Government Partner
FURNITURE SCULPTURE
Brian Jungen, Furniture Sculpture, 2006, 11 leather sofas, 619.8 x 589.3 x 721.4 cm, Collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Purchased with significant financial support from the Audain Foundation, and additional contribution from Rick Erickson and the Vancouver Art Gallery Acquisition Fund, VAG 2006.2.1 a-ee, © Brian Jungen Photo: Tomas Svab, Vancouver Art Gallery
On view from July 5 - July 28, 2019.
Brian Jungen created a massive tipi by “skinning” eleven leather sofas and repurposing their wooden frames. The artist notes “In communities there’s something about a black leather sofa that, at least in my own background, is a status symbol,” said Jungen. “I thought it was a crazy icon of wealth...but there’s a lot of hide in them.”
HARK Chatbot
HARK, the AGO chatbot, will be chatting about the exhibition Brian Jungen: Friendship Centre. Start using HARK while you visit the exhibition on the 2nd floor of the gallery.
If you do not see the chat window appear automatically, you can launch the chat window by clicking here. Start chatting with HARK in the floating chat window. Read HARK's welcome message and select one of the button options to continue the conversation.
EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
This book looks at over 80 sculptures, drawings, and film stills, along with a selection of archival materials including photographs, images of the artist working, unrealized works, and research pictures. Essays, an interview with the artist, and a timeline round out this generously illustrated book that details Jungen's deep material explorations which highlight a long history of inequality, a concern for the environment, and a profound commitment to Indigenous ways of knowing and making.
Authors: Kitty Scott, Ken Lum, Gerald McMaster, Candice Hopkins, Yasmin Nurming-Por
224 pages
hardcover
Dimensions: 10.25" x 10.25"
