Art
MOCA's Greater Toronto Art show struggles to put down roots – The Globe and Mail
Artist Sin Wai Kin’s 22-minute film A Dream of Wholeness in Parts features two figures with elaborately sexually coded costumes and painted faces.Courtesy the artist
At the Greater Toronto Art triennial, artist Catherine Telford Keogh contributes a sculpture that features open glass boxes holding both familiar litter from our everyday lives, but also more mysterious detritus. The text panel provided by the Museum of Contemporary Art explains that the contents include sedimented industrial waste from the bottom of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, which is where the Toronto-born Telford Keogh now lives and works.
This may seem like a picayune complaint, but there’s a certain absurdity to importing sediment from New York for a showcase of art from the Greater Toronto Area: Surely this region has lots of its own industrial waste to offer. And so, the long story of MOCA’s fitful attempts to root itself in Toronto continues with this, its second triennial devoted to the art of the metropolis and its suburbs, if not necessarily art about the metropolis and its suburbs.
(The triennial is not to be confused with the Toronto Biennial of Art, featuring Canadian and international artists and returning to the city this fall.)
The GTA project at MOCA began back in 2021 with a show about cultural identity and – this was the second Fall of the pandemic – virtuality and anxiety. It had interesting moments but was full of art that could have been made in any Western capital.
GTA 24, as this second iteration is dubbed, recognizes that problem. Indeed, the show begins outside the museum, with an augmented-reality and audio walkabout around the Tower Automotive Building that houses MOCA in the semi-gentrified Junction Triangle. As you follow along with your phone and headphones, Ojibwa artist Lisa Myers riffs hypnotically about the chocolate smell wafting from the nearby Nestle factory and the sound of passing trains.
In an essay for the forthcoming exhibition catalogue, B.C. art scholar Camille Georgeson-Usher will tie the piece to Indigenous mapping, as Myers speaks directly to the layers of history on and under the street.
Inside the building in the ground floor lobby, MOCA’s new curator Kate Wong, and collaborators Ebony L. Hayes and Toleen Touq, begin with more recent history: a collection of Toronto photographs shot by artist June Clark in the 1970s and 1980s. They include views of children waiting for the Caribana parade and skaters in Nathan Phillips Square, as well as several intimate images of Black women, as the multicultural city took shape.
Sometimes, the curators’ decision to include some previous art – from the 1960s to the 2000s – provides this kind of clear reference to the city’s cultural history, and other times it feels extraneous. The ground floor also features a clever juxtaposition of Mani Mazinani’s interactive light-and-sound piece, Solar Scale, with the last composition of the Toronto band Fifth Column (G.B. Jones and Caroline Azar), created as part of a multimedia performance installation at Nuit Blanche in 2012. It is playing in the concrete stairwell behind Mazinani’s work, subtly suggesting the precedents for his lantern of colour, light and music.
But this is not an exhibition about the history of contemporary art in Toronto. Rather than pointing to precedents or illuminating themes, some worthy older pieces – Theo Jean Cuthand’s 2012 Super 8 film Sight about indigeneity and blindness or P. Mansaram’s 1960s collages of imagery from Indian and Western commercial art – are overwhelmed by the newer works that surround them.
Indeed, the main question that GTA 24 raises is: What is this show about or what does it wish to achieve? Too much, a viewer may feel.
Toronto-born Catherine Telford Keogh’s sculpture display, in which glass boxes sit on steel conveyor rollers.LF Documentation/Courtesy of the artist and MOCA Toronto
Telford Keogh’s intriguing piece of glass boxes sitting on steel conveyor rollers, a work relating to environmental and historical themes in any gritty city, anchors a strong sculpture display on the second floor. It faces off against Oreka James’s startling steel wall anchored in clay and topped by a series of cow horns, in reference to both Japanese and Yoruba culture, and is backed by Tim Whiten’s 1995 cube of stacked carpets with a Chinese motif.
Cultural diversity is everywhere – that’s Toronto – but after viewing Sukaina Kubba’s intriguing redrawing of a Persian rug, Ésery Mondésir’s films about the Haitian diaspora in North America or Timothy Yanick Hunter’s multimedia installation with a video comparing the fate of Jamaican migrant farm workers in Canada to historic slavery, you have to recognize it’s a global theme.
Hunter’s newly commissioned work, the centrepiece of the third floor, also includes a large photographic image of a Black Madonna sculpture mounted on a transparent acrylic wall and two photo books featuring both recent images of Toronto, Montreal, Dakar and Jamaica, as well as archival images of Senegal (where the artist recently did a residency). Perhaps its fourth element, a photo panel in which an erotic image of a bare-chested man on an ornate couch is sliced up like Neapolitan ice cream, makes it clearer: The point is the diffuseness, the multiplicity, the non-linear story.
And that is perhaps the point of GTA 24, too: In her forthcoming catalogue essay, writer Tiana Reid points out that the term Greater Toronto Area suggests something both capacious and vague.
Meanwhile, in this third floor gallery, artist Sin Wai Kin overshadows both the historic and the contemporary with their remarkable film, A Dream of Wholeness in Parts. It’s a surreal yet precisely observed 22-minute narrative featuring two figures with elaborately sexually coded costumes and painted faces: part Chinese opera stars, part kewpie dolls, part drag queens. Based in London, where they won the Turner Prize for this work filmed in Taipei, Sin is winning plaudits the world over. Conveniently, the artist was born in Toronto.
Greater Toronto Art 2024 continues to July 28 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
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