Rebecca Belmore: Hacer Memoria Opening Celebration + Artist Talk
Join us on Saturday, January 14 for an opening celebration + artist talk for Rebecca Belmore: Hacer Memoria.
Opening celebration led by Sempúlyan Gonzales at 3:00pm, followed by a conversation between Rebecca Belmore and distinguished curator Candice Hopkins
About Hacer Memoria
Hacer Memoria is an outdoor sculpture that will extend along the top of The Polygon Gallery’s east-facing façade. This public artwork consists of nine oversized blue and orange shirts sewn from tarpaulins. The long-sleeved shirts, which hang in a row with the backs facing out, are each emblazoned with a single letter. Together the letters spell “hereafter.”
The title of the work is taken from the Pope’s penitential speech in which he recognized the importance of remembering the devastating impacts of the residential school system. Belmore co-opts his phrase “hacer memoria,” or “try to remember,” by highlighting the challenges of not forgetting. In colours that carry significance – blue for the uniforms that students wore and orange to mark the resilience of survivors – the provocative artwork offers an opportunity to acknowledge Indigenous people. Invoking the word “hereafter,” the artist places emphasis on the troubled present and unknown futures.
About Candice Hopkins
Candice Hopkins (Tlingit) is a Carcross/Tagish First Nation curator, writer and researcher who lives in Red Hook, New York. She is the Executive Director of the Indigenous-led Forge Project in Ancram, New York, leads the curatorial direction of the Toronto Biennial of Art, and has curated significant international exhibitions. In 2022 she received the prestigious Leo Award.
Image: Detail view of Rebecca Belmore’s Hacer Memoria (2022).