Current Exhibition
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August 21-
September 27 |
Strain will open and close their exhibition with a live performance on the shores of Bedford Channel on Friday, August 21 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, September 27 at 6:30 pm. Register for opening event (Aug 21) here, register for the closing event (Sept 27) here.
The Fort Gallery is honoured to present Ancestral Ties to the Flood, an exhibition of new work by Manuel Axel Strain. Strain is a 2-spirit interdisciplinary artist of Musqueam/Simpcw/Syilx heritage based on the unceded territory of the Katzie and Kwantlen peoples. Ancestral Ties to the Flood is the fourth in a series of five exhibitions at the Fort Gallery exploring the social, cultural, and environmental significance of the Fraser River.
In a time when so many indigenous communities still lack clean drinking water, basic infrastructure like dykes and sovereignty over their lands, waters and bodies Strain’s poetic and pointedly political exhibition challenges viewers to consider the interrelationship of waters and indigenous bodies.
Strain’s mother’s singing echoes through the darkened gallery as the voice of the river; her song speaks to the ways that indigenous understandings of family provide solace from the joint pressures of colonialism and capitalism. In a video Strain dances before the Fort Langley railway crossing wearing regalia fashioned from deconstructed neon safety vests, asking the question: who or what is deemed safe and visible? Sandbags, strewn throughout the sparse gallery space, reference the ways that indigenous communities fortify themselves, not only against literal floods, but also the tides of colonial violence that seek to erase indigenous bodies and title. A multimedia installation unites images of Strain's disembodied arms with audio from Delta Port drawing parallels between the trauma that marks both lands and indigenous bodies.
For Strain, the flood imagery is layered, on one hand referring to the literal floods that plague First Nations reserves, on the other hand, a metaphor for the power of indigenous resistance to colonial oppression. Inspired by recent widespread action against the TMX pipeline, and rail blockades in support of Wet'suwet'en sovereignty, Strain’s exhibition honours indigenous labour to protect lands, waters and air. The rising tide of indigenous-led resistance is, for Strain, a fertile and life-giving flood that inspires hope for their future relations.
The Fort Gallery is honoured to present Ancestral Ties to the Flood, an exhibition of new work by Manuel Axel Strain. Strain is a 2-spirit interdisciplinary artist of Musqueam/Simpcw/Syilx heritage based on the unceded territory of the Katzie and Kwantlen peoples. Ancestral Ties to the Flood is the fourth in a series of five exhibitions at the Fort Gallery exploring the social, cultural, and environmental significance of the Fraser River.
In a time when so many indigenous communities still lack clean drinking water, basic infrastructure like dykes and sovereignty over their lands, waters and bodies Strain’s poetic and pointedly political exhibition challenges viewers to consider the interrelationship of waters and indigenous bodies.
Strain’s mother’s singing echoes through the darkened gallery as the voice of the river; her song speaks to the ways that indigenous understandings of family provide solace from the joint pressures of colonialism and capitalism. In a video Strain dances before the Fort Langley railway crossing wearing regalia fashioned from deconstructed neon safety vests, asking the question: who or what is deemed safe and visible? Sandbags, strewn throughout the sparse gallery space, reference the ways that indigenous communities fortify themselves, not only against literal floods, but also the tides of colonial violence that seek to erase indigenous bodies and title. A multimedia installation unites images of Strain's disembodied arms with audio from Delta Port drawing parallels between the trauma that marks both lands and indigenous bodies.
For Strain, the flood imagery is layered, on one hand referring to the literal floods that plague First Nations reserves, on the other hand, a metaphor for the power of indigenous resistance to colonial oppression. Inspired by recent widespread action against the TMX pipeline, and rail blockades in support of Wet'suwet'en sovereignty, Strain’s exhibition honours indigenous labour to protect lands, waters and air. The rising tide of indigenous-led resistance is, for Strain, a fertile and life-giving flood that inspires hope for their future relations.
FORT GALLERY COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN
Physical Distancing Measures
Engineering Controls
Administrative controls
Personal protective equipment
Physical Distancing Measures
- maximum visitors in the gallery at once = 2 persons/parties, maximum 4 people
- clockwise movement through the gallery, indicated by arrow at the entrance
- artworks spaced at a minimum of 2m centres
- opening reception replaced by video of artist talk
Engineering Controls
- all information about the exhibit posted on the wall to avoid touching materials
- doors left open to improve ventilation and avoid need to touch door
Administrative controls
- posted safety plan
- sign reminding visitors of 2m spacing, clockwise movement
- no public use of washroom
- credit cards or cheques only for gift shop purchases
- gift shop prices clearly visible to avoid need to handle items
- hand sanitizer provided in gift shop to use before touching anything
Personal protective equipment
- staff and volunteers supplied with masks
- hand sanitizer near the front door and at the gift shop
