Exhibition soundtrack, featuring unreleased music written and recorded by Auf der Maur, BASS WOMB ROOM: My ‘90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings, drops Sept. 4 on cassette and streaming
Auf der Maur’s first book of photos to launch at AGO with in-person book signing on Sept. 9
TORONTO — Camera in one hand and bass in the other, Montreal-born artist Melissa Auf der Maur spent the 1990s touring the world with iconic ‘90s bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. An intimate portrait of a decade spent backstage, onstage, and everywhere in between, Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographsmakes its world debut at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), opening on September 2, 2026. Featuring more than 200 intimate photographs, alongside video, ephemera and new music, this original exhibition is co-curated by the AGO’s Curator of Photography Sophie Hackett and Curator of Special Projects & Director of Publishing Jim Shedden.
Suffused in the colour and textures of analogue photography, the exhibition moves in loose chronology, revealing an artist for whom photography was both an anchor and an act of witnessing. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Auf der Maur studied photography at Concordia University before becoming a member of two of the most celebrated bands of the ‘90s. Determined to maintain her artistic practice, Auf der Maur’s approach while on tour involved adopting point-and-shoot 35mm cameras, using one-hour photo labs on the road, taking Polaroids, and lo-fi video.
“My camera and my bass – they were my north stars amidst the chaos that came from traversing the global stage as part of the musical zeitgeist of our generation,” says Auf der Maur. “It was that chaos and the rise of corporate greed that I eventually ran away from. As an act of healing, and an offering to others who reflect on the impacts and lessons of the last analogue decade, I have surveyed my archive of more than 15,000 images to create this project in honour of the sacred parts of that era: the undivided attention and the communion of music — in hopes to inspire more of that in this new digital existence."
Fuelled by the propulsive energy of a trio of lead characters, notably Auf der Maur herself, the audience as seen from the stage each night, and Hole, with lead singer Courtney Love, the artworks on view range in scale and format — from one-hour instant prints to select chromogenic enlargements and Hi-8 video — culminating in a new immersive installation, BASS WOMB ROOM: My ‘90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings.
A mirrored pyramid, featuring video and set to music written and recorded by Auf der Maur, BASS WOMB ROOM is both a celebration and emotional centerpiece, a site designed to give visitors to the exhibition a taste of the transcendent experience of being on the road and performing on stage, before cell phones and digital recording. The installation soundtrack, BASS WOMB ROOM: My ‘90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings, will be released on cassette and digitally on Sept. 4, 2026, as a standalone album.
“The BASS WOMB ROOM is both a multimedia installation and dynamic sound piece,” says Auf der Maur. “Pulled from the past, it features audio samples from onstage and everyday life, as well as demos I recorded in my living room on a 4-track tape recorder in the ’90s. To experience it – to see and hear it – is to be at an intersection of sounds and moments, both ambient and noisy, past and present. Binding these disparate elements is a recurring heartbeat, symbolizing the bass (the mother of all instruments) and the womb that we all come from.”
The BASS WOMB ROOM installation features moving image content developed in collaboration with editor Neil Gust and film director Jennifer Baichwal; audio produced by Auf der Maur and Alex Crow and mixed by Crow; and installation components developed in collaboration with elsonstudio and McWood Studios.
Production is ongoing on a feature length documentary about Auf der Maur and her photo archive of the last analog decade, slated for release in fall 2027, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and filmed by Nicholas de Pencier, with partners Banger Films, The National Film Board and the CBC.
On view on Level 1 in Margaret Eaton Gallery (Gallery 137), Marvin Gelber Gallery (Gallery 136), and Betty Ann & Fraser Elliott Gallery (Gallery 135), Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs opens first to AGO Members on Sep. 2, 2026, then to Annual Passholders on Sept. 5, 2026, and the public beginning Sept. 8, 2026. The exhibition will run until June 2027.
Admission to the AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, and Annual Passholders. For more information on how to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit ago.ca/membership/become-a-member.
Exhibition Opening & Book Signing:
On Wednesday, September 9 beginning at 6 p.m., the AGO celebrates the launch of the publication Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs, with a book signing event and exhibition opening. Open to all ages, this event is free with General Admission. Co-published by AGO and DelMonico Books/D.A.P., copies of the book will be for sale on site. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/my-90s-rock-photographs-exhibition-opening-and-photo-book-launch
Publication:
A 240-page photography book, co-published by AGO and DelMonico Books/D.A.P., accompanies the exhibition. Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs features 250 color images and extensive commentary by Auf der Maur as well as contributions from Sophie Hackett, Elizabeth Grace Hale, Kevin Moore, Ann Powers, and Michael Stipe. The book arrives Sept. 2, 2026, at the AGO’s Shop for $65 CAD. This publication is supported by the Sorel Etrog Fund. For more details visit, delmonicobooks.com/book/melissa-auf-der-maur-my-90s-rock-photographs/.
Album:
BASS WOMB ROOM: My ‘90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings is a 15-track album, written and recorded by Melissa Auf der Maur, and produced by Auf der Maur and Alex Crow. Auf der Maur’s first new album in 15 years, it features unreleased songs from the ‘90s recorded by Auf der Maur on her 4-track tape recorder alone in her apartment, and experimental recordings captured on tour. BASS WOMB ROOM: My ‘90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings will be released first on cassette at the AGO on Sept. 2, 2026, ahead of worldwide distribution on Sept. 4, 2026. For more details visit, envisionrecords.ca/
ABOUT MELISSA AUF DER MAUR
Melissa Auf der Maur was born and raised in Montreal, Canada with a fine arts education. She is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator, and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. In 2010 she co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art centre in Hudson, NY, where she lives with her family and magic cats. The artist wishes to acknowledge the Canada Council for the Arts for their support of her research for this project.
Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Signature Partner
RBC
Generous Support
Women’s Art Initiative
Contemporary programming at the AGO is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts
@AGOToronto | #SeeAGO
ABOUT THE AGO
An architectural landmark, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art museums in North America. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. When the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery opens in 2027, it will present modern and contemporary art from Toronto and the world. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts, and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors, and private-sector partners.
-30-
For images and more information, please contact:
Andrea-Jo Wilson, Manager PR
[email protected]
Wendy So, Public Relations Associate
[email protected]