Exhibit: CONTACT Explores The Many Characters People Play at MOCCA!

Two MOCCA CONTACT Exhibitions Reviews

My recent Exhibit Posts have been about the amazing Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival that has been taking place this month in Toronto (to read my recent CONTACT posts please go here, here,and here). Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the three current CONTACT exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA); Material Self: Performing The Other Within, In Character: Self Portrait of the Artist as Another, and Hereros by Jim Naughten.

Bag (November 2007) by Hendrick Kerstens

Left to Right: Doily (March 2011), Aluminum Foil (March 2012), Napkin (February 2009) by Hendrick Kerstens

Left to Right: The Wait Seems to go on Forever (2009), I Have Not, I Have (2010), Terrible Beauty ( 2013), Her Majesty, Queen Sophie (2010), I Put A Spell on Me (2009) by Mary Sibande

Material Self is a photo-based exhibition from eight different artists from all over the world. It examines how society uses material possessions and clothing to express self-image. Stereotypes are challenged, in this very intriguing exhibit, as the artists mix cultural and traditional costumes and clothing to create new identities. The first photograph I saw was Bag (November 2007) by Hendrick Kerstens, which reminded me of an old photograph I have of my Dutch great grandmother in her hull. It was interesting to find out that Kerstens is from The Netherlands.

Photos by David Favrod, Kobe, Japan, 1982

Un paysage bleu (2009) by David Favrod

Harbinger of Sudden Departures (2013) by Meryl McMaster

Winter Green (2011) by Dominique Rey

All the photos on display in the In Character exhibit allowed each photo's subject to transform into another person, by shedding their own guise and wearing another character's clothing. This exhibit is drawn from The National Gallery of Canada and features acclaimed Canadian and international artists. Smaller than Material Self, In Character was a little underwhelming. In the future, I would like to visit The National Gallery Of Canada, to see more of their photo collections, to really enjoy it. 

The Gifted Amateur, Nov. 10, 1962 (2007) by Rodney Graham

Untitled #411 (2003) by Cindy Sherman

The 500 Year Itch (1992) by Shelley Niro

Hereros (2012) by British photographer Jim Naughten includes 4 portraits in the lobby and the large mural outside the MOCCA building. The images portray the Herero tribe from Namibia and how they assimilated Victorian and German military costume into their own cultural dress. Herero tells a very interesting true story with vivid photos. All three MOCCA exhibits run until May 31, 2014. For more information on all the exhibits at MOCCA, please visit www.mocca.ca

Left: Herero Woman in Patchwork Dress (2012), Right: Herero Cadet in Cardboard Hat (2012) by Jim Naughten

Mural Outside: Herero Women Marching (2012) by Jim Naughten

P.s!: MOCCA is a short 10 minute walk along Queen Street West to the Gladstone Hotel, which is also hosting 2 free CONTACT exhibits. So enjoy an afternoon of great art, along fabulous Queen Street West, for free! 

P.s,

Melanie!