THUNDER BAY – The Gaganoonidiwag: They Talk to Each Other exhibition stopped at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Saturday.
The exhibition merges historical facts with narratives following Toronto-based artists Joel Richardson and Nyle Miigizi Johnston’s time-travelling alter egos, Captain Jimmy Swann and Commander George Nadjiwon, as they grapple with what it means to reconcile.
The exhibit, originally started at the MacLaren Art Centre, will be in town until mid-April.
Virginia Eichhorn, the curatorial collaborator for the project and part of the Time Travel Collective, said they were really excited to have the Thunder Bay Art Gallery participate.
“A huge part of what we’re trying to do with this project is to get discussions around what does reconciliation really mean, how can we come together to look at what our shared past is and create ways forward in a positive, symbiotic and supportive way,” said Eichhorn.
“Most of the projects that we’ve done to date have been more down in Southern Ontario and so we’re really excited to be able to bring this up north, where again, there’s different issues, but there’s a lot of commonalities that we all share.”
The exhibition had its first conversations at 2 p.m., during which the artists and curator shared their stories and journeys before inviting those attending to share theirs.
“One of the things that we really want to do is to open it up and provide opportunities for everybody to bring a dialogue in, ask questions, have conversations with each other, but in a safe and supported environment,” said Eichhorn.
Two later conversations will also be held over Zoom during the exhibition.
Through a wide-range mix of high-tech and low-tech — including videos, animation, the floor, wheat paste murals on the walls and different collaborative two-dimensional art pieces — the exhibit creates a holistic dialogue.
In particular, three of its video elements offer background on how the project has evolved.
“That’s what I love. It’s a living story and what we learn from here and as we develop, we weave it through,” said Johnson.
Richardson and Johnston were responsible for making the exhibition’s physical art in Toronto, with some of the place settings for the principal photography done in Johnston’s community.
Johnson said they weave each other’s communities in the show as much as they can.
Johnston is traditionally from Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation. He said having these conversations is an important push for him and his journey because there was a time when Canada didn’t talk about its residential school and day school systems, how reconciliation with the land goes hand in hand with reconciliation with Indigenous communities and explore what is taught at a very young age as Canadian history.
As an Indigenous artist, he added it is crucial to tell these histories and bring these characters to life, especially for Nadjiwon, who carries his family’s traditional last name that was stripped in the Spanish residential school.
“I always believe we should be pushing our narratives forward into the future adapting to our environment, adapting to the mediums that are available to us and keep pushing our creation stories into the future because it’s so important,” said Johnson.
By pulling on Johnson’s Southern Anishinabek teachings that the past, present, and future are happening simultaneously and affecting one another, he said it plays with that timeline, what can be done and how they can retell creation stories.
“It’s almost like we’re reconciling two very different mediums and forms of painting and creating. And what better way to challenge my own practice than to experiment and explore all of these different mediums and techniques that Joel has taught me over the years,” said Johnston.
While Richardson grew up on Johnston’s family’s traditional lands, he descended from United Empire Loyalists. As a Canadian from a settler background, he agreed, addressing the ills that have been done and addressing reconciliation is 'a top priority.'
He said that their show represents many years of work, hanging out, creating and experimenting together.
“You get to know somebody and again, you establish a trust that allows you to go deep into it and tackle some challenging things right in a fun way,” said Richardson.
He said there’s a playfulness about the exhibition, but behind it, there are serious topics that can be very hard to address and people can get defensive.
Together, their multifaceted story is a call for action for their characters to develop a Neyaashiinigmiing International Time Portal project set in 2057 to address future crises.
Richardson was very thankful to be in Thunder Bay and been so well received.
Johnson agreed it’s beautiful for him to bring his stories, heart and love back to share with Thunder Bay and learn first and foremost.
With each video telling a part of that story, the artists encourage those stopping by today or in the future to come and walk through and listen to each one.
Once the travelling exhibition finishes in Thunder Bay, it will go to the Kitchener museum.
