in the middle of everywhere: artists on the Great Plains
remai modern, June 4, 2022 – March 12, 2023
Artists: Lori Blondeau , Deanna Bowen , Victor Cicansky, Dana Claxton, Reta Cowley, Ted Douglas, Aganetha Dyck , Marcy Friesen, Raven Halfmoon, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Kaija Sanelma Harris, Edgar Heap of Birds, Luther Konadu, William Kurelek, Marie Lannoo , Agnes Martin, Gordon Parks , Wendy Red Star, Leon Polk Smith, Otto Rogers, Peter Rupchan, Marigold Santos, Allen , Grace M. Waters, Mindy Yan Miller, Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson
Located in the geographic middle of North America, the Great Plains encompass a vast territory framed by forests to the north, mountains to the west, and great rivers to the east and south. Remai Modern is situated on the grasslands of the northern Great Plains region.
The largest ecosystem on the continent, the plains support an extensive network of living relations. Deep forms of kinship, inherited histories and economic and political systems bind people to this geography. A space of subtle beauty, surprising diversity and overwhelming openness, the plains are physically and conceptually expansive in ways that are not easily defined.
In the Middle of Everywhere is part of an ongoing inquiry—the first in a new triennial series—that seeks to trace the physical, social and psychological contours of the Great Plains. The work of the participating artists helps us to bring this outline of place into focus. They reach across time and location, working in a wide variety of media, and with distinct voices. Their work connects around themes that recur across the exhibition: the geography of the Great Plains; histories of movement and migration; living with the land; the prevalence of the grid in Plains culture; and the Nēhiyaw concept of Wahkohtowin (kinship). Following topographical features rather than political boundaries, this exhibition reorients the museum to the Great Plains and asks: What makes this place itself?
In the Middle of Everywhere is curated by Michelle Jacques, Head of Exhibitions & Collections/Chief Curator; Rose Bouthiller, Curator (Exhibitions); Sandra Fraser, Curator (Collections); Troy Gronsdahl, Curator (Performance & Public Practice); and Tarah Hogue, Curator (Indigenous Art) with support from Emily Dunseith, Registrar (Exhibitions); Jillian Cyca, Registrar (Collections); Chad Redl, Exhibitions and Collections Supervisor; Troy Mamer, Technical Coordinator (Exhibitions and Collections); and installation team: Paul Atkins, Caleb Dueck, Ian Forbes, Devon Hanofski, Jason Hosaluk, Spencer Martin, Cameron McKay, Darren McQuay, Ian Rawlinson, Paul Siemens and Brett Smith.
Exhibition Interpretation
Works by Dana Claxton, Ted Douglas, Agnes Martin, Grace M. Waters. Photo: Carey Shaw.
Extended label:
Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson, Gaia Symphony series
“In Japan, where I was born and raised, there is a culture of respecting nature and a deep awe of nature. The ancient Japanese religion of Shinto worships eight million gods [kami] within nature universally. We humans are a part of nature, and all living things have life... beautiful mountains and rivers, flowers and trees, stones, clouds and even the wind all have spirits. Each of these living things may be singing and laughing with their own sounds at frequencies that we humans can’t hear. In this series I try to express these sounds.”
Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson is a textile artist based in Salt Coats, Saskatchewan. Her Gaia Symphony series is made from antique Japanese kimonos, including some that belonged to the artist’s mother and great-aunt, that are carefully taken apart and reconstructed. Stretched onto square frames, they evoke the canvases of Saskatchewan-born painter Agnes Martin, whose work had a profound influence on Farquharson. She felt Martin’s work embodied Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic sensibility, which sees the beauty in the incomplete and the value of perfection found in imperfection.
The Grid (wall text)
The 19th century was a period of aggressive American expansion. Manifest Destiny was a widespread cultural belief that the United States was destined to expand across the entire continent. The nation pushed west, occupying and annexing land with ruthless, single-minded purpose. Feeling the pressure of American expansion, the fledgling nation of Canada sought to establish and assert its own territorial claims. The Dominion Land Survey was the largest survey project in the world, dividing the prairie provinces into square-mile sections. The survey, coupled with the advent of a transnational rail line, paved the way for settlement and changed the face of the plains forever. The grid is deeply ingrained in rural culture and, in the context of this legacy, alludes to systems of connectivity, order and even control. However, the grid can also have very different implications. The grid is a common motif on Indigenous rock art from the Great Plains region. For Edgar Heap of Birds, the grid has roots in the vernacular language of the protest poster. Agnes Martin's delicate intersecting lines represent states of mind or lines of thought. The grid is a recurring motif in the exhibition, appearing both as an installation strategy and in the lines and geometric forms in individual artworks.
Works by Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson. Photo
PROGRAMS
In the Middle Of Everywhere Opening Weekend
To celebrate the opening of In the Middle of Everywhere: Artists on the Great Plains, Remai Modern hosted a weekend program featuring artists from the exhibition and a special performance featuring artists from the region.
Public preview. On Friday evening, a public preview of In the Middle of Everywhere was held on Level 3 of the museum. The evening began with a prayer from Knowledge Keeper Linda Young, followed by hand drum songs performed by Elmer Tootoosis and Allan Bonaise. Their presence grounded the opening in community, ceremony, and connection to the territory.
Artist’s talk. Internationally renowned multimedia artist Edgar Heap of Birds spoke in Marquee Gallery about his influential practice. Reflecting on his decades-long career, Heap of Birds shared insights into his work’s deep engagement with Indigenous histories, land, and language.
Artist panel. Exhibiting artists Marie Lannoo, Mindy Yan Miller, Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson and Ted Douglas were present in the Marquee Gallery for a series of rotating artist talks. Each artist spoke about their work in the context of the exhibition In the Middle of Everywhere and took questions from the public.
Performances. The final event celebrating the opening weekend of In the Middle of Everywhere featured a performance by Tristen Durocher, Michel Boutin, and Matthew Cardinal and Stephanie Kuse.
Installation views
Photos by Care Shaw