From September 12 to October 17, 2020
A Harlem Nocturne, Deanna Bowen
Curated by Kimberly Phillips
Curated by Kimberly Phillips
> Free | Reservation is mandatory: bit.ly/2YyBXNM
The three artist-run centers at 4001 Berri — OBORO, Ada X and Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) — are pleased to present Deanna Bowen’s first major exhibition in Quebec, circulated by the Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
“A Harlem Nocturne” presents a terrain of research that Bowen undertook in Toronto and Vancouver over the past three years, recovered from civic documents, newspaper clippings and numerous personal and organizational archives. These materials trace a series of interconnected figures—many of them part of Bowen’s own family—who formed an integral part of the Canadian entertainment community from the 1940s through the 1970s. As Black bodies living and working in a settler colony underpinned by institutionalized racism, they were at once invisible and hyper-visible, simultaneously admired, exoticized and surveilled. They enjoyed certain celebrity in their local milieu but also endured differing degrees of bigotry, segregation and racial violence.
Bowen’s aim is to posit a powerful counterpoint to common narratives that oversimplify historical narratives of Canada’s complex and vibrant Black presence. She reminds us that even seemingly insignificant documents can be rich repositories for unintended readings, and for questioning who has been charged with writing our histories and why.
Before you visit, reserve your place online here bit.ly/2YyBXNM. Please note that masks are mandatory.
Accessibility information: OBORO is located on the 3rd floor of building 4001 Berri (up 44 steps), Ada X on the 2nd floor (up 24 steps) and GIV on the 1st floor (up 4 steps). The elevator is wheelchair accessible via a portable ramp. Staff will be happy to help, and we ask that you please contact us to request its use. Gender-neutral bathrooms are located on the same floor as the gallery, however they are not currently wheelchair accessible. For accessibility questions please contact OBORO at 514-844-3250 or at oboro@oboro.net or consult our complete accessibility information document: bit.ly/3jeZgnL
OBORO, Ada X and Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) thank the Kanien’kehá:ka people for hosting us in Tiohtià:ke.
