the pale man scuplture from pan's labyrinth

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. DDT Efectos Especiales, Pale Man, inspired by Pan's Labyrinth, 2016.

Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters

September 30, 2017 - January 7, 2018.

 

OPEN LATE!

For select days over the holiday, get the chance to visit the exhibition until 9 pm.

AUDIO TOUR

Download the AGO App in advance here.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE

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EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

From the fantastic to the frightful, don’t miss this rare glimpse into the world of renowned filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and his cabinet of curiosities. Taking inspiration from del Toro’s extraordinary imagination, At Home with Monsters reveals his creative process through his personal collection of art, artefacts, books, and props, all culled from Bleak House, del Toro’s creative haven located in Los Angeles.

“To find beauty in the profane. To elevate the banal. To be moved by genre. These things are vital for my storytelling,” says Guillermo del Toro. “This exhibition presents a small fraction of the things that have moved me, inspired me, and consoled me as I transit through life.”

This unique exhibition explores the creative mind behind one of the most inventive filmmakers of our generation revealing his influences, from the Medieval era to contemporary culture, and his particular obsession with horror, fantasy and the rich heritage of the Victorian era. At Home with Monsters is organized thematically, beginning with visions of childhood and innocence and the Victorian era; continuing through explorations of death and the afterlife, magic, occultism, alchemy, Frankenstein and horror, monsters; and concluding with a celebration of comics, movies and popular culture.

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Minneapolis Institute of Art.

 

 

"del Toro's deep-geek credentials are a major appeal" — Globe & Mail


TALKS & SCREENINGS

The Films of Guillermo del Toro

Whether you’ve seen them before, or this is your first time, enjoy this series of incredible, legendary films – The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak.

Events

Halloween Family Monster Bash

Calling all monsters to join in a Guillermo del Toro-inspired Halloween party for kids of all ages! Wear your Halloween costume to the AGO and take part in a gallery-wide celebration of del Toro’s favourite holiday

Family Fireside Chat

Inspired by works from the AGO’s collection, join our virtual family program series every month via Zoom for reading, storytelling and art exploration! Bring some sheets of paper, your favourite drawing materials and cozy up for an afternoon of creative fun for the family.

Learn More

Don’t miss this rare glimpse into the world of Guillermo del Toro!

BOOK TICKETS

ARTWORKS FROM THE EXHIBITION

frankenstein and bride of frankenstein sculptures

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Mike Hill, Unrequited (Bride and Frankenstein), 2012.

GDT install slide frankensteins
the faun from pan's labyrinth

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. DDT Efectos Especiales, The Faun, inspired by Pan's Labyrinth, 2016.

GDT install slide faun
dresses form the film crimson peak

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Kate Hawley, Dresses from Crimson Peak, 2015.

GDT install - crimson peak dresses
hellboy's coat, gun

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Wendy Partidge, Hellboy’s Coat, Gun, 2014.

GDT install slide hellboy stuff
a sculpture of edgar allen poe

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Thomas Kuebler, Once Upon a Midnight Dreary (Edgar Allan Poe), 2013, pictured in the Rain Room.

GDT install slide poe
a sculpture of frankenstein and a little girl

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Mike Hill, Frankenstein and the Girl, 2017.

GDT install slide frankenstein and girl
The comic room inside the guillermo del toro exhibition at the gallery

Installation view from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters, the Comic Room, 2017.

GDT install slide comics

 

"an intense, overpoweringly completist view into the esthetic and philosophical fascinations of its maker.” — Toronto Star  


ABOUT GUILLERMO DEL TORO

Guillermo del Toro (b. 1964) is one of the most inventive filmmakers of his generation. Beginning with Cronos (1993) and continuing throughThe Devil’s Backbone (2001), Hellboy (2004),Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Pacific Rim (2013), and Crimson Peak (2015), among many other film, television, and book projects, del Toro has reinvented the genres of horror, fantasy and science fiction. Working with a team of craftsmen, artists, and actors—and referencing a wide range of cinematic, pop-culture, and art-historical sources—del Toro recreates the lucid dreams he experienced as a child in Guadalajara, Mexico. He now works internationally with a cherished home base he calls “Bleak House” in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

“Guillermo del Toro believes that we need monsters,” says Jim Shedden, co-curator and the AGO’s Manager of Publishing. “To him, the imperfections of monsters are found in all of us, whether we see them or not. At the same time, despite his empathy for the tragic monster, del Toro is fascinated with truly terrifying and invulnerable monsters. By witnessing his incredible creative process, we can make unexpected connections among different genres and narratives, high art and pop culture, and blur boundaries between fantasy and reality.”

Portrait of Guillermo del Toro at Bleak House
Photo © Josh White/ JWPictures.com

 


GUILLERMO DEL TORO: AT HOME WITH MONSTERS EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

guillermo del toro exhibition catalogue cover

The perfect companion piece to an enthralling new exhibition on the visionary work and fervent imagination of director Guillermo del Toro.

Plus, choose from a wide selection of fabulous and frightful collectibles to create your very own cabinet of curiosities.


FOOD THAT'S SCARY GOOD AT AGO BISTRO

beef with veggies

Great food, art and culture are always on the menu.  Enjoy a special prix fixe lunch and dinner menu inspired by the Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibition.

Reserve your table today


AUDIO TOUR

Enrich your experience of Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters with an audio tour.

Download the AGO app or listen on Soundcloud

Listen Now



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