Jenn Kitagawa: Understory

Jenn Kitagawa, Understory, 2024, Cotton, Nylon, Wool, Wood, 74 x 78 inch (188 x 198 cm)

Understory
Jenn Kitagawa

November 7 – 17, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 7, 5pm
Remote Gallery, Toronto

Understory is an analog observation of digital spaces and their overlap with nature. As life increasingly becomes more mechanized and instantaneous, the artwork is intended to disrupt the infinite screen scroll and to encourage the viewer to be present in their body and surroundings.

Employing familiar materials such as cotton and wool emphasizes the idea of creating something tangible as a response to disembodied and virtual environments. In tech, nature is often used to help explain the abstract and cerebral environments we inhabit online. Researcher and digital pioneer, Sue Thomas, writes about the idea of technobiophilia, “the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes as they appear in technology”. The exhibition is an exploration of the interconnectedness between nature and technology.

Jenn Kitagawa, Understory (detail), 2024, Cotton, Nylon, Wool, Wood, 74 x 78 inch (188 x 198 cm)

Jenn Kitagawa is a visual artist of Japanese and Scottish ancestry from Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. She makes textile artwork to explore ideas on identity, communication, and nature. Creating work through the medium of textiles is intentional as they hold histories and stories within them. Using hand based techniques such as weaving, sewing and silk painting informs her practice as these approaches encapsulate time, labour and physicality.

jnkkitagawa.com | Instagram @jennkitagawa

Jenn Kitagawa gratefully acknowledges support from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS).

Remote Gallery is Akin’s dedicated exhibition and programming space located at 568 Richmond Street West. Remote Gallery provides opportunities for artists and members of the public to rent financially accessible space for various types of programming.

Remote Gallery
568 Richmond Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1Y9
remote.gallery
gallery@akincollective.com

Hours:
Tuesday 12 to 6pm
Wednesday to Friday 12 to 7pm
Saturday to Sunday 12 to 5pm

Remote Gallery is Accessible