January 18, 2011

Scott Benesiinaabandan (Stephens): unSacred

Gallery 1C03 is proud to present unSacred, Scott Benesiinaabandan’s first solo exhibition from January 20 at 4:00 pm to February 19. 
unSacred will include new and recent digital images and a single channel video installation that draws upon research the artist conducted while studying at UofW. 
It explores liminality through an investigation of the Windigokaan, a contrary figure in traditional Anishinabe society. 

the Windigokaan represents the opposite of accepted norms.  Benesiinaabandan contends that, like clowns or misfits in other cultures, Windigokaan use their backwardness to teach others and that their contrary nature represents a powerful symbol that has received little attention to date, both within and outside of Anishinabe society. 

His landscape studies suggest the imagined physical space from which contrariness might originate and his depictions of material manifestations of the Windigokaan will open discussion about this sacred society and the importance of deviant cultural figures. 

unSacred is co-presented as a satellite exhibition of Plug In ICA's Close Encounters: The Next 500 Years, an exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art from around the world that serves as the banner project for Winnipeg's Cultural Capital of Canada 2010 Program.

Scott Benesiinaabandan (Stephens) works in photography, printmaking and video.
He obtained a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from UofW and has completed mentorships and workshops with Manitoba Printmakers Association and Aboriginal Film Training.  During the summer of 2010, he also carried out a residency in Derry, Ireland. 
Scott has taken part in several group exhibitions across Canada and in the United States, most notably in Subconscious City at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2008.

No comments:

Post a Comment