July 24 by Sara Angelucci, part of the Ontario Nocturnal Botanical series exhibited in Undergrowth.

The SPAO Centre Gallery is proud to present a virtual conversation with photo-based artist Sara Angelucci and independent curator Shannon Anderson. Filmed and recorded on February 17th, 2021 the conversation is part of the digital companion to their current exhibition Undergrowth.

The question of how an artist can respond to this critical time of ecological emergency is the focus of Angelucci’s recent projects. In her current work entitled Nocturnal Botanical Ontario, she undertakes an intimate study of land in her immediate proximity and experience. Angelucci aims to express complicated interconnections within vulnerable habitats, an inquiry based on interactions with plants, insects, trees, and social history. In previous series such as Arboretum and Black Flowers, she considers the implications of historical Western impulses to capture and classify nature. At a time when climate change appears inevitable and we face the impact on the earth left by generations of greed, the works in this exhibition adopt strategies of empathy and conscious connection to reposition our relationship with nature. Listen as the artist and curator discuss each of Angelucci’s three different projects expertly curated within the exhibition, and respond to questions from the community.

Click here to watch the recorded video at your leisure.

Artist Sara Angelucci (left) and curator Shannon Anderson (right)

Sara Angelucci is a Toronto-based artist working in photography, video and audio. She has exhibited her work across Canada in solo exhibitions at the Art Gallery of York University, Le Mois de la Photo in Montreal, Vu in Quebec City, the Toronto Photographers Workshop, the MacLaren Art Centre, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Richmond Art Gallery, and Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery in Halifax. Internationally she has had solo exhibitions at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, the Lianzhou Photography Festival and the Halsey Institute of Art in Charleston. Her work has been featured in numerous group shows in the US, Europe, and in China at the Pingyao and Beijing Biennales. She is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto and Patrick Mikhail Gallery in Montreal. She is an adjunct professor at Ryerson University.

Shannon Anderson is an independent curator and writer of contemporary art. Her curatorial research focuses on the intricacies of communication and connection, and the psychological and perceptual conditions evolving from contemporary life. Anderson’s curated exhibitions have been shown at galleries across Canada, including the Blackwood Gallery in Mississauga, Musée d’art de Joliette, Oakville Galleries, Plug In ICA in Winnipeg, Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery in Halifax, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, and the Surrey Art Gallery, among others. She also currently serves as the Art Curator for the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Art Council.

Installation view of Undergrowth by artist Sara Angelucci

Nestled in the heart of the Nation’s capital, SPAO is one of Canada’s leading photographic art centres. SPAO is home to the only two-year Photographic Arts Diploma in Canada, a unique six month Artist Residency and an independent and critical Gallery dedicated to photographic and video art.

The SPAO Centre Gallery is currently open to the public Wednesday – Sunday 12PM – 5PM until March 5, 2021. Virtual components to current and upcoming exhibitions are available by visiting spao.ca/gallery. The SPAO Gallery follows all public health directives and these hours may be subject to change.

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