Breathing In, Breathing Out

Fall Exhibition Opening at Latcham Art Centre

Vladimir Kanic: Book of Waves Pt. 200, 2023. Mixed media with algae biopolymers and living algae culture. Courtesy of the artist.

Breathing In, Breathing Out
Karina Bergmans and Vladimir Kanic

October 30 – December 12, 2026
Artist Talk and Opening Reception: Friday, October 30, 7 – 9pm
Latcham Art Centre, Stouffville
All are welcome, and admission is free.

With every breath, we draw more than 10 sextillion molecules from the air around us into our lungs. At least one of those molecules was exhaled by Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, or Marie Curie. Though oxygen is what the body craves, with every breath a little bit of the world enters our bodies, inextricably connecting us to every other living and non-living thing, and to the history of the entire planet.

This interconnectedness is explored in Breathing In, Breathing Out through the work of two artists: Vladimir Kanic, whose experimental practice straddles art and science, incorporating living algae and organic biopolymers to generate a sustainable sculptural material; and Karina Bergmans, whose inflatable cells and soft sculptures consider the human relationship with allergens, bacteria, and viruses through the lens of psychology.

Independent of each other, both artists create breathing sculptures that integrate light with unconventional materials. Their unique approaches to sculpture and installation reveal how every breath engages us in a complex web of biological, ecological, and psychological relationships with the world around us.

Latcham Art Centre gratefully acknowledges the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville for their generous support of this exhibition.

Karina Bergmans, Virus (detail), 2016-2021. Concrete, plywood, Tyvek, magnets, steel, custom light fixture, bbq rotisserie motor, child’s umbrella, blackout fabric, lighting gels, wire, yarn, ethafoam, paint, fabric. Courtesy of the artist.

About the Artists

Karina Bergmans is an Ottawa-based multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of art and science through themes of language, communication, text, and play. Working across sculpture, installation, performance, and public art, she creates participatory experiences that encourage engagement and reflection. Bergmans’ work has been exhibited widely, including at CAFKA, the Ontario Science Centre, Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery, and the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles. She has completed residencies at the Banff Centre and the Moon Rain Textile Biennial. Karina Bergmans would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario for supporting her work with a Visual Artists Creation Projects grant and through the Exhibition Assistance grant program.

Vladimir Kanic is a transmedia artist whose living algae installations transform spectators’ breath into oxygen, creating participatory ecosystems that explore interspecies collaboration. Drawing on his Croatian maritime heritage and freediving experience, he uses breath as both material and method to investigate ecological relationships, memory, and resilience through algae, one of Earth’s most vital carbon sinks. His work envisions living artworks as ecological interventions and models for community repair and collective futures. Kanic holds an MFA from York University and a BFA from OCAD University, is pursuing a PhD in (Bio)Digital Media at York University. He is also an award-winning filmmaker and alumnus of the Locarno Film Academy and Berlinale Talents.

About Latcham Art Centre

Latcham Art Centre is a public art gallery that inspires the community to engage with arts and culture through dedicated exhibitions of contemporary art that reflect a range of artistic media and the cultural diversity of our province. Latcham Art Centre offers vibrant education programs that cultivate creativity and experimentation through classes, workshops, artist talks, and tours. Latcham Art Centre is located in Stouffville, Ontario, 45 minutes northeast of Toronto with free parking and is accessible via GO Transit. The Gallery is open to the public and admission is free.

Latcham Art Centre is accessible.

Gallery Hours:
Monday: 10am – 5pm
Tuesday: 10am – 8pm
Wednesday: 10am – 8pm
Thursday: 10am – 8pm
Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: Closed

For more information please contact:
Jeff Nye, Curator
Latcham Art Centre
jeffrey.nye@latchamartcentre.ca

Latcham Art Centre
2 Park Drive
Stouffville, ON L4A 4K1
905-640-8954
www.latchamartcentre.ca

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