Summer 2025 at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto

Join us for the opening night on Wednesday, April 30

Rihab Essayh, Livin’ in ruins of a palace within my dreams (installation detail), 2024. Organza and crinoline, 12 x 144 x 96 in. Image courtesy of Bowling Green State University Fine Art.

MVS Curatorial Studies Program Graduating Exhibitions

May 1 – July 26, 2025
University of Toronto Art Centre
15 King’s College Circle

Whispers of Resistance
Curated by Sibei Du

Whispers of Resistance explores the complexities of womanhood and motherhood in contemporary China. Artists Anny Peng, Liu Xi, Zhou Wenjing, and Cai Yaling focus on memory, intimacy, and intergenerational relationships, revealing the multifaceted experiences of women bound by family life and societal expectations. Through deeply personal narratives and diverse artistic expressions, Whispers of Resistance sheds light on the challenges faced by women in their pursuit of identity and autonomy, highlighting their resilience and courageous resistance to patriarchal structures.

This exhibition is sponsored by Shuyun (Christine) Chen from C.Y Art Gallery, with additional project support from Shunling Zhou, Siwei Du, and Weiru Chen.

In the Interstices of Our Palms
Curated by Sophie Dubeau Chicoine

In the Interstices of Our Palms explores ways to build, hold, and share community in times of disruption. Navigating the personal and collective challenges of communal efforts, three artists mobilize processes of (re)assembly. They create space for hope, insisting on the possibilities of healing and renewal while simultaneously reckoning with ongoing grievances. Featuring work by Rihab Essayh, Anouk Verviers, and Tanya Lukin Linklater, the exhibition puts forward reflective modes of collectivity fostered by sustained, careful gestures.

This exhibition draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. We gratefully acknowledge additional project support from the Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU) and the Yellowhead Institute.

Careful Crossings
Curated by Abisola Oni

Curated by Abisola Oni, Careful Crossings brings together artists whose experiences of travel inspire ethical relations in human geography. Complementary to the artists’ travels, the exhibition invites further reflection through satellite sites and programs across the city. Works by Kapwani Kiwanga, Isabel Okoro, Oluseye, and Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa are on view in the University of Toronto Art Centre. A rare showing of Chetna Vora’s OYOYO (1980) will be held in the courtyard of University College, and a program of short films in the CineCycle underground will feature works by international filmmakers Collectif Faire-Part and Annabelle Aventurin.

We gratefully acknowledge additional project support from the Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU) and the African Studies Centre, University of Toronto.

The MVS Curatorial Studies Program Graduating Exhibitions are produced as part of the requirements for the MVS degree in Curatorial Studies at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto. The Art Museum gratefully acknowledges additional project support from the Reesa Greenberg Curatorial Studies Award and International Travel Fund.

Lauren Warrington, A Space for Her Absence (PO.PO.AR.2001.002), 2025. PETG, variable dimensions. Image courtesy of the artist.

2025 MVS Studio Program Graduating Exhibition

May 1 – July 26, 2025
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
7 Hart House Circle

The Art Museum, in partnership with the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, is pleased to exhibit the graduating projects of the 2025 Master of Visual Studies graduate students Justyna Janik, Lauren Warrington, and Lina Wu.

The 2025 MVS Studio Program Graduating Exhibition is produced as part of the requirements for the MVS Studio degree in Visual Studies at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto.

The exhibition is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Additional project support was provided by the Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU).

The Art Museum gratefully acknowledges project support from The Valerie Jean Griffiths Student Exhibitions Fund in Memory of William, Elva, and Elizabeth.

Chetna Vora, OYOYO, Film and Television Academy of the GDR 1980. Digitisation and restoration of the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, supported by the Film Heritage Funding Programme, financed by BKM, Länder and FFA.

Public Programs

Opening Reception: Summer 2025 Exhibitions
Wednesday, April 30, 6pm–8pm
University of Toronto Art Centre and Justina M. Barnicke Gallery

Short Films at CineCycle
Saturday, May 3, 4pm–6pm
CineCycle, 129 Spadina Ave

Curatorial Tour: Whispers of Resistance
Saturday, May 10, 2pm–3pm
University of Toronto Art Centre

In the Interstices: a conversation on memory and archives
Saturday, May 24, 2pm–4pm
University of Toronto Art Centre and Senior Common Room, University College

Curatorial Tour: In the Interstices of Our Palms
Friday, May 30, 3pm–4pm
University of Toronto Art Centre

Curatorial Tour: Careful Crossings
Wednesday, June 4, 6pm–7pm
University of Toronto Art Centre

Outdoor Screening: OYOYO (1980)
Thursday, June 12, 8pm–10pm
University College Quad

All programs are free and open to the public.
For more information and to register, visit artmuseum.utoronto.ca/programs/

About the Art Museum at the University of Toronto

The Art Museum is an internationally renowned centre for contemporary art and interdisciplinary inquiry located on the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, in Canada’s largest and most diverse city. With its two distinct gallery spaces (the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House and the University of Toronto Art Centre at University College), the Art Museum offers intensive cycles of programming dedicated to artistic and curatorial experimentation. Featuring works in a wide array of traditional and contemporary media, the Art Museum’s exhibitions are complemented by energetic offsite projects, widely accessible digital programs, and research engaging with the University of Toronto’s extensive contemporary and historical collections.

Visiting

Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
Hart House
7 Hart House Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H3

University of Toronto Art Centre
University College
15 King’s College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7

Museum Hours
Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon–5pm
Wednesday, 12 noon–8pm
Sunday and Monday, closed.

Admission is free. All are welcome.

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artmuseum.utoronto.ca
artmuseum@utoronto.ca
416-978-8398