naakita feldman-kiss: The Density of Dust

The Density of Dust, naakita Feldman-Kiss, 2022

Vtape and Images Festival co-present:

The Density of Dust
by naakita feldman-kiss

Curated by Lisa Steele

April 13 – May 6, 2023
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
4th floor, 401 Richmond St. W.
Tuesday – Saturday 12-5pm EDT
Walk-ins welcome, no pre-booking necessary

Opening: Thursday April 13, 2023
Reception 5:30-7:30 PM EDT
Artist will be in attendance.

This two-channel installation confronts the viewer with both a micro- and a macro-view of matter that is decidedly sentient. Bricks are alive with their own memories, seeming to experience their own distant past. Dirt and hair pose as galaxies soaring through the heavens. On-screen texts contemplate sediment and decay, listening for the voices of the past. The methodical cleaning of an ancient piece of machinery produces dust and flakes of rust that are then carefully swept up and bagged, hinting at some future cataloguing that will take place, perhaps revealing even more layers. But there is a cautionary: “Ghosts deserve their rest”, urging us to step back and let the past rest.

naakita feldman-kiss has written of this work: “The Density of Dust is a video installation that uses material collection and close listening to explore a centuries old building’s history and its surroundings.

“History forms foundation. It lends structure to numerous presents and futures, allowing them necessary space to expand and multiply. As these expansions take place, traces of the past remain. With time, they become harder to see, fainter to hear, and often impossible to reach. Using archival research and investigations of the site’s internal landscapes, The Density of Dust aims to reveal some of the many layers of time and experiences the area hosts. In examining the building’s traces, the work considers these layers with curiosity, while simultaneously attuning itself to the spectres that inhabit them.”

The Density of Dust was commissioned by Fonderie Darling, Montreal.

naakita feldman-kiss (they/them) is a queer multidisciplinary artist and writer of mixed heritage (settler in so-called “Canada”/ Caribbean / Eastern European) who lives and works in Tio’TiaKe / Mooniyang / Montreal.

Lisa Steele is an artist and curator, co-founder and artistic director of Vtape.

401 Richmond St., suite 452
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
416 351-1317

Vtape acknowledges the generous support of all of our funders including The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.

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Vtape is an Accessible Venue with level entrance at the EAST end of the building on Richmond St. West