Michael Kim: Situated Within

Michael Kim, Untitled, Archival Inkjet Print, 2015, Image courtesy of the artist.

Michael Kim
Situated Within

July 9 – 20, 2025
Opening Reception: July 12, 2 – 5pm
Beaver Hall Gallery, Toronto

Situated Within is a photographic meditation on the vast, unpredictable terrain of Iceland—a place where nature asserts its scale and force with overwhelming clarity. Through a series of black-and-white images, the work captures the elemental drama of a landscape shaped by time, weather, and movement. It evokes a sense of awe and invites reflection on what it means to be small within something much greater.

The series traces the rhythms of Iceland’s ever-shifting environment, revealing turbulent winds, low-hanging clouds, and sudden shafts of light piercing through darkness. These images do more than document a place—they speak to our deep entanglement with the natural world. Rather than presenting the land as distant scenery, it is revealed as a dynamic presence—alive, volatile, and worthy of reverence.

Situated Within offers a quiet but urgent call to humility. In resisting the impulse to control nature, the work reminds us that adaptation and coexistence are essential. It asks us to consider our responsibilities as participants—not masters—of a world in flux.

Michael Kim, Untitled, Archival Inkjet Print, 2015, Image courtesy of the artist.

About the Artist

Michael Kim is a Toronto-based visual artist, photographer, and educator whose work explores the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. His practice centers on three interconnected themes: the human impact on the environment, coexistence within diverse societies, and how language and cultural barriers shape our relationships with others. Through photography, video, photomontage, and photobooks, he reflects on environmental change and the emotional and social dynamics of contemporary life. He holds a BFA in Photography and an MFA in Documentary Media, and teaches in the Photography Media Arts program at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he is committed to mentoring emerging artists and fostering critical engagement with contemporary photographic practices and new media technologies. Kim’s work has been exhibited in galleries and festivals across North America, including cultural events such as Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and the Toronto Urban Film Festival. His ongoing creative and academic work continues to establish him as a vital voice in Toronto’s artistic community.

Contact Michael Kim
msbkim8@gmail.com
Instagram: @msbkim

Beaver Hall Gallery
29 McCaul Street
Toronto ON M5T 1V7
beaverhallgallery.ca
beaverhallgallery@gmail.com

Hours of Operation
Wednesday to Friday, 12 – 6pm
Saturday to Sunday, 12 – 5pm

Admission is free. All are welcome.

Found on the main floor of Beaver Hall Artists’ Co-op, the gallery is flanked by the Toronto Entertainment District to the south, with OCAD University and the Art Gallery of Ontario to the north.

The land that Beaver Hall Gallery is situated on today is the traditional, unceded, and current territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Accessibility
Beaver Hall Gallery is not accessible.