At Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto, the exhibition also emphasizes \u2014 through foraging native plants, creating fabrics, and ultimately celebrating the authenticity of native produce and culture \u2014 the oppression and triumphs these artists faced in their respective homelands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nInstallation view at Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022). Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jumana Manna\u2019s Foragers <\/em>(2022) weaves fiction, documentary and archival footage into a film that depicts the problematic issues around the practice of foraging for wild edible plants in Palestine\/Israel. The impact of nature protection laws is prevalent in all aspects of the film. It documents how the changes in laws affects people who have lived on that land for centuries, as it forces them to change their cultural and dietary habits. The restrictions prohibit the collection of Akkoub and Za\u2019atar and have resulted in fines and trials for hundreds of disadvantaged natives, mainly Arabs, caught collecting these plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jumana Manna, Foragers<\/em>, 2022, video with audio, 65 minutes. On view at Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022). Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A striking artwork that fills the largest space in the room is Kaokao #1<\/em> from The Mata Aho Collective, based in Aotearoa New Zealand. <\/em>The installation is made from 200 meters of reflective tape, sewn together in a tukutuku<\/em> lattice pattern. \u201cThrough their work, the act of coming together, the many hours of piecing a work by hand, is emphasized as integral to their process and calls attention to the Maori concept of whanau, or extended family, <\/em>this time on a monumental scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mata Aho Collective, Kaokao #1<\/em>, 2014, reflective fabric, cotton thread, 1200 x 220 cm. On view at Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022). Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid. Courtesy of the artist and TBA<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, Amy Malbeuf \u2018s Kahkiyaw kikway <\/em>(All of Everything<\/em>), is a large-scale installation made from combination of moose and deer hide sewn together. The artist continues the traditions of northern Alberta\u2019s regional aesthetics in skin preparation and cloth fashioning. She leaves her work unembellished on purpose. Both large scale pieces highlight the labour that has gone into its making, featuring themes that include strength and unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amy Malbeuf, Kahkiyaw kikway<\/em> (All of Everything),<\/em> 2019 \u2013 2022, smoked tanned moose and deer hide, raw deer hide, nylon thread, cotton thread, dimensions variable. On view at Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022). Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TBA\u2019s exhibits at Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto include a variety of subject matters and artistic mediums in the work of 7 artists or groups, from videography to painting, to large scale structures. Ultimately, they present an arsenal of shared experience \u2014 which stems from a return, and exploration of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Georgia Gardner<\/p>\n\n\n\n Images are courtesy of the TBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Exhibition information: What Water Knows, Land Remembers<\/em> <\/a> includes artists Abel Rodriguez, Amy Malbeuf, Aycoobo\/Wilson Rodriguez,<\/a> Buhlebezwe Siwani, Jumana Manna, Mata Aho Collective, Waqas Khan, March 26 – June 5, 2022, Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto, 45 Ernest Ave, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tues\u2009\u2013\u2009Sun, 10am\u2009\u2013\u20096pm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n