An Indigenous-led exhibition presented by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, is currently on display.
The exhibition, called ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home, was originally organized by and premiered at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal.
ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home was co-curated by Joar Nango, Norway-based Sámi architect and artist, Taqralik Partridge, associate curator, Indigenous Art – Inuit Art Focus, Art Gallery of Ontario, Jocelyn Piirainen, associate curator, National Gallery of Canada and Rafico Ruiz, associate director of research at the CCA.
The exhibition highlights installations by Indigenous designers and artists and offers reflections on how Arctic Indigenous communities “engage with the land and establish empowered, self-determined spaces of home and belonging.”
Its accompanying publication, and programming, ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home aims to initiate long-term impact and foster new dialogues and perspectives on Northern Indigenous practices of designing and building that are not traditionally considered in architectural canons.
“Towards Home recognizes that architectural design in this country has been generally insensitive to Indigenous peoples’ traditions and cultures. Participating in this project, our Faculty hopes to broaden understandings and support our shared efforts towards fostering practices of land-based design,” said Jeannie Kim, associate professor at the Daniels Faculty and organizer of the Toronto exhibition.
Showcased works include Taqralik Partridge and Tiffany Shaw’s The Porch,Geronimo Inutiq’s I’m Calling Home, Nuna, an installation by asinnajaq in conversation with Tiffany Shaw and Offernat (Votive Night) by Carola Grahn and Ingemar Israelsson.
The exhibition also facilitated the Futurecasting: Indigenous-led Architecture and Design in the Arctic workshop, which brings together nine emerging architectural designers and duojars (craftspeople) to discuss the future of design on Indigenous lands across Sapmi and Turtle Island. This workshop was co-curated by Ella den Elzen and Nicole Luke.
Contributors to the exhibition include asinnajaq, Carola Grahn and Ingemar Israelsson, Geronimo Inutiq, Joar Nango, Taqralik Partridge, and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory. The original exhibition design was by Tiffany Shaw of Edmonton, with graphic design by FEED, Montreal.
The exhition will be on display until March 22, 2024, in the Architecture and Design Gallery, located at 1 Spadina Crescent in Toronto.