BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Critical Distance Centre for Curators - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Critical Distance Centre for Curators
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://criticaldistance.ca
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Critical Distance Centre for Curators
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Toronto
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20210314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20211107T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20220313T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20221106T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20230312T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20231105T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220821T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220821T140000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20220812T174607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220906T192617Z
UID:18384-1661083200-1661090400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Reza Nik: sofreh for two
DESCRIPTION:REZA NIK\nsofreh for two\, 2022 \nLocation: Iranian Plaza (6075 Yonge St\, North York)\nDate: August 21\, 12pm – 2pm\nOutdoors\, free to the public\n*The Iranian Plaza is accessible by TTC using the 97\, 61 or 53 bus routes which are all wheelchair accessible routes. The plaza is a strip mall with parking including accessible parking in the front. \nReza Nik’s sofreh for two references both Iranian food and drink carts and ‘Sofreh’\, a loose term translated to a textile on which food is served but that often functions as a shorthand for various preparations\, practices\, ceremonies and rituals. This improvisational performance is mediated through a roving structure that considers the spatial facets of food and feasting as narrated through diasporic and intergenerational experiences and memories. \n\nsofreh for two is presented as part of Place Settings\, a large-scale\, durational project that considers how food functions to connect and disrupt. Focusing specifically on the intersections of food\, public space\, and architecture\, Place Settings points to formal and informal structures that offer forms of nourishment\, be they physical\, emotional\, social\, or political. \nCurated by Noa Bronstein\, Place Settings I started in June – August 2021. Place Settings II continues this summer with performative projects staged throughout the city of Toronto. Each project engages in a discursive gesture that considers new possibilities at the intersections of food practices and public space\, revealing the shareable and relational qualities of both. \nPlace Settings II launches August 21\, 2022 with Reza Nik’s “sofreh for two”. Click here for more details about the program.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/reza-nik-sofreh-for-two/
LOCATION:Iranian Plaza\, 6075 Yonge St\, North York\, ON\, M2M 3W7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Performances
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2022/08/RezaNik_WebFeatureImage.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T200000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20220906T192115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220912T134439Z
UID:18393-1662750000-1662753600@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Larissa Sansour: Soup Over Bethlehem
DESCRIPTION:LARISSA SANSOUR\nFilm Screening: Soup Over Bethlehem \nLocation: 401 Richmond Rooftop (401 Richmond St. West)\nDate: September 9\, 2022 | 7pm – 8pm\nFree Admission – Register via Eventbrite \nSoup Over Bethlehem (Film\, 9′) depicts an ordinary Palestinian family\, Sansour’s own\, around a dinner table on a rooftop overlooking the West Bank city of Bethlehem. What starts as a culinary discussion about the national dish ‘mloukhieh’ soon evolves into a personal and engaging conversation about politics – thereby emphasising the symbiosis of food and politics so indicative of the Palestinian experience. (Description courtesy of the artist). \nThis screening of Soup Over Bethlehem will be accompanied by a response to the film by Serene Husni\, addressing various concerns ranging from language and food histories to the complexities of ‘national dishes’. \nGUEST SPEAKER BIO:\nSerene Husni is a video editor\, mentor\, writer and translator. A Diasporic Palestinian\, and immigrant from Jordan turned Canadian-settler\, she is a displaced human existing between multiple cultures\, languages\, and locales. She creates most of her own work in her mother tongue\, Arabic. Freely available to watch online\, her latest film “Brown Bread & Apricots” (2020) talks about the role of the pantry in homemaking for her father’s exiled Palestinian family. The film won the Qayrub Award for “Best Canadian Short Film” from the Toronto Arab Film Festival in 2022. Serene was a guest writer on the first season of the podcast Mahdoum -digestible in Arabic- by SOWT\, which talks about the histories of popular “Arab” dishes. She is a co-writer and co-editor on the much-anticipated feature documentary by Polina Teif\, A Eulogy for The Dead Sea (2022). \n\nSoup Over Bethlehem is presented as part of Place Settings II\, which continues Summer 2022 with performative projects staged throughout the city of Toronto. Each project engages in a discursive gesture that considers new possibilities at the intersections of food practices and public space\, revealing the shareable and relational qualities of both. \nPlace Settings\, curated by Noa Bronstein\, is a large-scale\, durational project that considers how food functions to connect and disrupt. Focusing specifically on the intersections of food\, public space\, and architecture\, Place Settings points to formal and informal structures that offer forms of nourishment\, be they physical\, emotional\, social\, or political. \nWe are working towards accessibility measures for our events. For more information\, please email Emily Cook\, Education/Accessibility Programs Director\, at emily[at]criticaldistance.ca. \nClick here to learn more about Place Settings II.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/larissa-sansour-soup-over-bethlehem/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Screenings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2022/08/Larissa_WebFeature.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220916T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220916T200000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20220812T131643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221011T145436Z
UID:18398-1663354800-1663358400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Adrià Julià: The Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain
DESCRIPTION:ADRIÀ JULIÀ\nThe Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain\nConceived by Adrià Julià\nWritten by Débora Antscherl and Adrià Julià\nPerformed by Stephen Park \nDate: September 16\, 7pm\nLocation: Art Gallery of Ontario – Jackman Hall\nFree Admission – Register here \nOffering a meditation on the history of production\, consumption and expansion of popcorn in modern colonial history\, The Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain reflects on the historical and socioeconomic intricacies of the global corn industry and its relationship to Mexican culture and the popularization of popcorn in the United States after the Great Depression\, especially in regards to popcorn’s connection to cinema. \nAdrià Julià’s film-performance The Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain is presented in conjunction with the AGO’s exhibition Faith and Fortune: Art Across the Global Spanish Empire. \nThis event will have live visual description available. You will require your own smartphone and headphones to access the description. Please email Emily Cook\, Education + Accessibility Programs Director\, at emily[at]criticaldistance.ca for more information and we will update this event page as more details become available. \nFor more information about visual description also known as Audio Description\, please visit this link. \nAlso on view on the Billboard at 180 Shaw Street throughout the month of September: A Very White Flower\, 2022 by Adrià Julià. \n\nThe Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain is presented as part of Place Settings\, a large-scale\, durational project that considers how food functions to connect and disrupt. Focusing specifically on the intersections of food\, public space\, and architecture\, Place Settings points to formal and informal structures that offer forms of nourishment\, be they physical\, emotional\, social\, or political. \nCurated by Noa Bronstein\, Place Settings I started in June – August 2021. Place Settings II continues this summer with performative projects staged throughout the city of Toronto. Each project engages in a discursive gesture that considers new possibilities at the intersections of food practices and public space\, revealing the shareable and relational qualities of both.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/adria-julia-the-penitential-tyrant-dolores-is-pain/
LOCATION:Jackman Hall\, Art Gallery of Ontario\, 317 Dundas St W\, Toronto\, ON\, M5T 1G4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Performances
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2022/08/Adria-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220917T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220917T160000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20220905T192508Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240314T201736Z
UID:18474-1663426800-1663430400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Conversation and Screening: Adrià Julià and Noa Bronstein
DESCRIPTION:Conversation and Screening: Adrià Julià and Noa Bronstein \nSaturday\, September 22nd\, 2022\n3:00 pm\nInnis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue) \n\nAdrià Julià will be joined by curator Noa Bronstein for a discussion into his ongoing interest in the parallel and overlapping histories of film production and popcorn consumption. Using an historical perspective with the language of cinema\, Julià encourages a critical look at the impact of history and culture on food and images and how these inform our understanding of the world around us. \nA screening of Julià’s Popcorn will follow the conversation. The film is adapted from footage originally presented by the San Diego-based camera company Photron of a single kernel of corn exploding into popcorn over twelve seconds. Shot with a slow-motion high-speed camera that the company sought to promote\, the found mini-film was reimagined by Julià and stretched into Popcorn\, a feature film. \n\n\nThis program is presented by Critical Distance Centre for Curators as part of Place Settings II\, featuring film and performance-based projects curated by Noa Bronstein throughout the city of Toronto. This program is in dialogue with Julià’s A Very White Flower (on view at Artscape Youngplace) and The Penitential Tyrant: Dolores Is Pain at the AGO on September 16th.\n\n\n\n\n\n  \nAbout the artist and curator \nAdrià Julià received an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts\, a Maisterschüler from the Universität der Künste Berlin\, and a BFA from Universitat de Barcelona. His practice includes installations\, film\, photography\, and performance. Solo exhibitions include those at the Miró Foundation (Barcelona)\, Tabakalera (San Sebastián\, Spain)\, Museo Tamayo (Mexico City)\, Orange County Museum of Art (Newport Beach\, California)\, Project Art Centre (Dublin)\, LAXART (Los Angeles) and Artists Space (New York). He participated in the Lyon\, São Paulo\, Mercosul\, Kochi-Muziris\, and Jakarta Biennales. \nNoa Bronstein is a curator and writer based in Toronto. Her practice is often focused on the social production of space and thinking through how artists disrupt and subvert systems including those registering across social\, political and economic structures.\nNoa has held the positions of Executive Director of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography\, inaugural Senior Curator at the Small Arms Inspection Building (Mississauga) and Project Manager at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Her writing has appeared in publications including Artforum\, PREFIX Photo\, Canadian Art\, Border Crossings\, The Journal of Curatorial Studies and C Magazine. Recent curatorial projects include When Form Becomes Attitude at Contemporary Calgary\, bust/boom at The New Gallery (Calgary)\, With an instinct for justice at Doris McCarthy Gallery (Toronto) and Aleesa Cohene’s solo exhibition I Don’t Get It at Gallery 44 (Toronto)\, The Rooms (St. John’s) and Western Front (Vancouver). Noa is currently the Executive Director of Gallery TPW. \n  \nPlace Settings is made possible through the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council\, City of Toronto\, and ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021-22. \n  \n\nImage: Detail of A Very White Flower (2022)\, Adrià Julià. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/conversation-and-screening-adria-julia-and-noa-bronstein/
LOCATION:Innis Town Hall\, 2 Sussex Avenue\, Toronto\, M5S 1J5
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2022/09/AdriaJulia_Innis.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230422T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230422T150000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230328T183834Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240925T034214Z
UID:18768-1682168400-1682175600@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Artist Panel: Materialized
DESCRIPTION:Artist Panel: Materialized\nJoi T. Arcand\, Celeste Pedri-Spade\, Catherine Blackburn\, and Nadya Kwandibens\n \nSaturday\, April 22nd\, 2023\n1:00 pm\nUrbanspace Gallery\nGround floor of 401 Richmond – 401 Richmond St W\, Toronto\n \nJoin us for a panel discussion featuring the artists from our spring exhibition Materialized. Artists Joi T. Arcand\, Celeste Pedri-Spade\, Catherine Blackburn\, and Nadya Kwandibens will present brief artist talks\, followed by a discussion moderated by curator Ariel Smith (Artistic & Managing Director\, Native Women in the Arts). \nThis panel is presented as part of Materialized\, an exhibition co-presented by Native Women in the Arts and Critical Distance Centre for Curators\, in partnership with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and Partners in Art. Materialized is on view at Critical Distance Centre for Curators from April 21 to June 3. \nThis is a free\, public event: everyone is invited.\nCapacity is limited\, register in advance on Eventbrite \nAbout the artist(s)\n \nJoi T. Arcand is an artist from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation\, Saskatchewan\, Treaty 6 Territory\, currently residing in Ottawa\, Ontario. Her practice includes installation\, photography and design and is characterized by a visionary and Subversive reclamation and indigenization of public spaces through the use of Cree language and syllabics. \nCatherine Blackburn was born in Patuanak Saskatchewan\, of Dene and European ancestry and is a member of the English River First Nation. She is a multidisciplinary artist and jeweller\, whose common themes address Canada’s colonial past that are often prompted by personal narratives. \nCeleste Pedri-Spade is an Anishinabekwe artist from Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation. She identifies as a “mark maker” who works primarily with textiles and photography. \nNadya Kwandibens is Anishinaabe from the Animakee Wa Zhing #37 First Nation in northwestern Ontario. In 2008 she founded Red Works Photography\, a dynamic photography company empowering contemporary Indigenous lifestyles and cultures through photographic essays\, features\, and portraits. \n \nAbout the curator(s) \nAriel Smith is an award winning nêhiyaw\, white settler and Jewish filmmaker\, video artist\, writer\, and cultural worker. Ariel works as the Artistic and Managing Director of Native Women in the Arts and is in the process of completing an MFA in Film Production from York University. \nAccessibility \nASL Interpretation will be available at this event.\nCritical Distance and Urbanspace Gallery are located on the ground floor at 401 Richmond\, a wheelchair accessible building with a ramp at the Richmond Street doors and an accessible washroom on every level. \n– \nThank you to our presenting partner\, Native Women in the Arts. This program is made possible through the generous support of Partners in Art and Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n  \n\nImage: Joi T. Arcand\, Through That Which is Scene\, 2014. Courtesy of the artist.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/artist-panel-materialized/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/03/Arcand-3_Through-That-Which-is-Scene_Courtesy-of-the-artist_rt.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230623T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230623T213000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230602T201341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240314T200615Z
UID:18825-1687543200-1687555800@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Artist Talk + Opening Reception: Garden of Broken Shadows
DESCRIPTION:Artist talk with El Rass in the Dark Horse Cafe at 401 Richmond\, followed by the exhibition opening reception at Critical Distance (Suite 122) \nFriday\, June 23rd\, 2023\n6:30 – 9:30 pm:\n401 Richmond: Dark Horse Cafe and Critical Distance\, Suite 122 \nJoin us for an artist talk with Lebanese rapper El Rass at Dark Horse Cafe\, located inside 401 Richmond. Presented as part of Critical Distance’s summer exhibition Garden of Broken Shadows\, El-Rass will be in conversation with curator Fatma Hendawy. Informally\, they will discuss different topics starting from the cultural and linguistic specificity of Arab rap to El-Rass’s philosophical analysis of identity and immigration issues. Immediately following the talk we will proceed to the Critical Distance gallery for the opening reception of Garden of Broken Shadows. \nThis event is free with registration; space is limited and seating is first-come\, first-served.  \nAbout the artist \nMazen El Sayed (aka El Rass)\, is a rapper and music producer from Tripoli\, Lebanon. His discography includes 8 albums\, the most recent is titled “Ard El Khof” \, as well as more than 200 singles in collaboration with other music-makers and rappers from the region. El Rass’s work has earned recognition and visibility in the Arab world\, specifically for his dense lyrical content\, versatility of styles and subject matter\, and his personal sonic approach. El Sayed worked as a journalist before devoting his time to music\, and has been described as a subversive voice inspired from traditional and contemporary expression\, from the spiritual and the worldly. \nAccessibility\n\nCritical Distance prioritizes creative and collaborative approaches to access in conversation with guest curators\, artists\, access professionals\, and people in community. Both Dark Horse Cafe and the Critical Distance gallery are located on the ground floor at 401 Richmond\, a wheelchair accessible building with a ramp at the Richmond Street doors and an accessible washroom on every level. The gallery is equipped with automatic doors and we commission audio description for all exhibitions. Updates on any measures we develop in relation to artworks or events will be posted as it becomes available. For any questions or more information\, please contact us at info@criticaldistance.ca.\n\n– \nCritical Distance thanks co-presenter MARSM Canada for partnering on programming for El Rass. Garden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/artist-talk-opening-reception-garden-of-broken-shadows/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/ElRass_web_02.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230624T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230624T220000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230602T195729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240314T200642Z
UID:18818-1687633200-1687644000@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Concert: El Rass الراس | Toronto
DESCRIPTION:El Rass الراس in concert \nSaturday\, June 24th\, 2023\n7:00 pm\nAdelaide Hall \nCritical Distance is thrilled to co-present El Rass in concert with MARSM Canada at Adelaide Hall on June 24\, as part of the exhibition Garden of Broken Shadows\, curated by Fatma Hendawy Yehia.  As part of his first tour in Canada\, El Rass\, known for his critical lyrics and performances\, will engage with the exhibition’s topics around identity\, immigration and adaptation through a vernacular yet deeply philosophical language. Tickets on sale through MARSM Canada. \nThis event is part of the public programming of the exhibition Garden of Broken Shadows. \nAbout the artist \nMazen El Sayed (aka El Rass) is a rapper and music producer from Tripoli\, Lebanon. His discography includes 8 albums\, the most recent is titled “Ard El Khof” \, as well as more than 200 singles in collaboration with other music-makers and rappers from the region. El Rass’s work has earned recognition and visibility in the Arab world\, specifically for his dense lyrical content\, versatility of styles and subject matter\, and his personal sonic approach. El Sayed worked as a journalist before devoting his time to music\, and has been described as a subversive voice inspired from traditional and contemporary expression\, from the spiritual and the worldly. \nAccessibility \nAdelaide Hall is located in the lower level of 250 Adelaide Street West. The entrance is through the alley next to 26 Duncan Street West (between Nelson St. & Adelaide St. West). The venue can only be accessed via two flights of stairs (4-5 steps each) connected by one landing.  \n– \nCritical Distance thanks co-presenter MARSM Canada for partnering on programming for El Rass. Garden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/concert-el-rass-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b3-toronto/
LOCATION:Adelaide Hall\, 250 Adelaide Street West\, Toronto\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Other Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/ElRass_web-e1685735967853.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230629T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230629T200000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230608T175602Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240319T213504Z
UID:18838-1688061600-1688068800@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:The Time of Balsams: In Conversation with Lamis Haggag and Marina Fathalla
DESCRIPTION:The Time of Balsams: In Conversation with Lamis Haggag and Marina Fathalla \nThursday\, June 29th\, 2023\n6:00 pm\nCritical Distance Centre for Curators\nSuite 122 – 401 Richmond St W\, Toronto \nVisitors will meet at the gallery to experience the exhibition\, Garden of Broken Shadows\, before the group proceeds down the hallway to the courtyard for the event.  \nResisting singular\, easy\, conclusive\, or finite definitions The Time of Balsams is a conversation between Lamis Haggag and Marina Fathalla. Taking cues from Lamis Haggag’s new work The Lamenting Monotropa at Critical Distance\, we will delve into myth-making\, insisting on returning to the ways of being that live through us. We will be guided by the sun to unburden and to find solace in its harshness\, in her silence. The tradition of lamentation reminds us that we’re storytellers\, that we inherited grief\, knowledge and layers of culture\, through colonial occupations\, and others passing through. We dance to sadness\, we collectively share in it\, we make things up as we go\, we lose ties in order to blend in\, we lose ourselves\, we return. \nThis in-person event is free with registration. \nAbout the artists \nLamis Haggag is an Egyptian multimedia artist\, living and working in Toronto since 2016. She received her MFA from The University of Calgary in 2013 and her BFA from Helwan University\, Cairo in 2008. She participated in exhibitions and residencies in Toronto (Doris McCarthy AIR program)\, Montreal ( Artist in residence at Fonderie Darling)\, Calgary\, St. Thomas Ontario\, Cairo\, Beijing\, Dakar\, Lagos\, Berlin and Incheon. In addition to her art practice\, Haggag is an art instructor\, installer and proposal writer. She received various grants and scholarships in Canada from CCA\, TAC\, OAC\, AFA\, Interaccess Artist-run Center and the University of Calgary. Haggag is also the recipient of awards and grants from the Goethe Institute in Lagos\, the Goethe Institute in Cairo\, Incheon Foundation for Arts and Culture in Incheon\, Al Mawred Al Thaqafy for the Arab region\, Kamel Lazaar Foundation in Tunisia\, and various awards from the Ministry of culture in Egypt. \nMarina Fathalla is a coptic artist and currently the Director of Programming at Whippersnapper Gallery. She grew up in Mississauga alongside the Credit River on unceded Anishinaabeg territory. Guided by the unseen\, or what is just beneath the surface\, she’s currently exploring dormancy\, the mystical and ritual through textiles\, writing and movement. She finds the most joy in creating programming that is site\, group and community-responsive and supporting emerging artists to grow their practice. \nAccessibility\n \nThe Critical Distance gallery is located on the ground floor at 401 Richmond\, a wheelchair accessible building with a ramp at the Richmond Street doors and an accessible washroom on every level. The gallery is equipped with automatic doors. Critical Distance prioritizes creative and collaborative approaches to access in conversation with guest curators\, artists\, access professionals\, and people in community. For any questions or more information\, please contact us at info@criticaldistance.ca. \n– \nGarden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n  \n\nImage: Lamis Haggag\, plant picking / The lamenting monotropa\, 2021-22\, Digital photography print on chiffon. Courtesy of the artist. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/the-time-of-balsams/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/LH_plant-picking_from-The-lamenting-monotropa-series_courtsey-of-the-artist-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230713T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230713T140000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230608T183505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240418T182825Z
UID:18843-1689251400-1689256800@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Artist Talks: Katherine Melançon and Anahita Norouzi
DESCRIPTION:Artist Talks\nKatherine Melançon and Anahita Norouzi \nThursday\, July 13\n12:30 pm\nOn Zoom: Register on Eventbrite \nJoin us online to learn more about the practices of artists Katherine Melançon and Anahita Norouzi\, as part of Critical Distance’s summer exhibition Garden of Broken Shadows\, curated by Fatma Hendawy.  \nAbout the artist(s) \nKatherine Melançon’s practice is interested in the intersection of the natural and the technological. More recently\, she has been exploring non-human beings’ agency; what could become of the world of art\, if it was created with non-human people? Often using the starting point of scanography of natural specimens\, she plants these new seeds in various materials\, exploring images’ fluidity through cycles of metamorphosis between physical and digital soils. Katherine holds an MFA from Central Saint-Martins in London\, UK\, and a BA in digital media from Université du Québec à Montréal\, Montreal\, Canada. Her work has been exhibited in Canada\, the USA and Europe. In 2022\, she was named on the Sobey Art Award long list. She lives and works in Montreal. \nAnahita Norouzi is a multidisciplinary artist\, originally from Tehran and active in Montreal since 2017. For the past four years\, she has been traveling between Iran and Canada to conduct her research which lies at the intersection of colonial histories\, experiences of immigration and displacement\, and the issue of identity and memory. Her practice is research-driven\, instigated by marginalized histories and the legacies of botanical explorations and archeological excavations\, particularly when scientific research became entangled in the colonial exploitation of non-Western geographies. Norouzi’s works have been shown internationally\, most recently at BIENALESUR\, the International Contemporary Art Biennial of South America\, in Buenos Aires\, Argentina. She has received numerous grants\, fellowships\, and awards\, most notably the Grantham Foundation Award\, Liz Crockford Artist Fund Award\, and the Vermont Studio Center Merit. She is the winner of Impression residency at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2022 and the finalist for the Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize for pieces shown at the Royal College of Art’s Henry Moore Gallery in London and in Dubai. \nAccessibility\n\nASL Interpretation will be made available at this virtual event.\nCritical Distance prioritizes creative and collaborative approaches to access in conversation with guest curators\, artists\, access professionals\, and people in community. For any questions or more information\, please contact us at info@criticaldistance.ca. \n– \nGarden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n  \n\nImages (left to right): Anahita Norouzi\, Arid Florilegium (detail)\, 2022\, Inkjet prints on archival paper\, paper cutouts\, plexiglass\, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist. Katherine Melançon\, Nature morte. Un million d’horizons (detail)\, 2017\, laser-engraved ceramic\, 10 x 13.5 in. Photo: Jean-Michel Seminaro.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/artist-talks-katherine-melancon-and-anahita-norouzi/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/ArtistTalk_Anahita_Katherine_banner.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230729T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230729T170000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230608T195738Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240319T213518Z
UID:18853-1690635600-1690650000@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Afternoon with the Curator
DESCRIPTION:Afternoon with the Curator\nFatma Hendawy Yehia\n \nSaturday\, July 29\n1 – 5 pm\nCritical Distance Centre for Curators\nSuite 122 – 401 Richmond St W\, Toronto \nDrop by the gallery for casual conversation with exhibition curator of Garden of Broken Shadows\, Fatma Hendawy Yehia. Registration is not required and admission is always free. \nAbout the curator: \nFatma Hendawy Yehia is an Egyptian-Canadian curator\, based in Toronto since 2017. Yehia graduated in 2020 from the Master of Visual Studies Curatorial program at university of Toronto. Since 2008\, Yehia held different positions at the New Library of Alexandria including Head of Permanent Exhibitions (2010-12). She was the Assistant Curator at the AGYU\, Toronto (2021-22). She was Guest Curator at Images Festival 2022\, and currently she works as Assistant Archivist at the Art Museum\, University of Toronto. Yehia participated in curatorial workshops (including Tate Intensive 2017)\, residencies (ProHelvetia and ZKU/Berlin) and curated several projects in Egypt\, UK\, Switzerland\, France\, Germany\, and Canada. Her curatorial practice focuses on investigating censored archives\, questioning inaccessible histories\, and navigating militarised spaces. \nLearn more about the exhibition and artists: www.criticaldistance.ca/program/garden-of-broken-shadows\n\nAccessibility \nCritical Distance prioritizes creative and collaborative approaches to access in conversation with guest curators\, artists\, access professionals\, and people in community. Critical Distance gallery is located on the ground floor at 401 Richmond\, a wheelchair accessible building with a ramp at the Richmond Street doors and an accessible washroom on every level. The gallery is equipped with automatic doors and we commission audio description for all exhibitions. Updates on any measures we develop in relation to artworks or events will be posted as it becomes available. For any questions or more information\, please contact us at info@criticaldistance.ca. \n– \nGarden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario. \n  \n\nImage: Yuula Benivolski \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/afternoon-with-the-curator/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Tours
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/Fatma_Yuula-Benivolski_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230801T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230801T140000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20230608T195157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240319T213417Z
UID:18851-1690893000-1690898400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:In Conversation: Ahmed Naji and Fatma Hendawy
DESCRIPTION:In Conversation\nAhmed Naji and Fatma Hendawy \nTuesday\, August 1\n12:30 pm\nOn Zoom: Register on Eventbrite to receive the link\n \nCritical Distance is pleased to present an engaging dialogue between acclaimed Egyptian author\, Ahmed Naji\, and renowned curator\, Fatma Hendawy as part of our summer exhibition\, Garden of Broken Shadows. The discourse will revolve around their experiences in adapting to life in the United States and North America\, with a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities that come with using a different language as creators. \nAbout the artist \nAhmed Naji is the author of three novels\, Rogers (2007)\, Using Life (2014)\, And Tigers to my Room (2020)\, and another non-fiction book (Rotten Evidence: Reading and writing in prison) as well as numerous blogs and other articles. His work has been translated into different languages including English\, Italian\, Spanish\, and others. In 2016 Ahmed was sentenced for 2 years in prison in Egypt after a reader complained that an excerpt published in a literary journal harmed public morality. His imprisonment marks the first time in modern Egypt that an author has been jailed for a work of literature. Writers and literary organizations around the world rallied to support Naji\, and he was released in December 2016. His original conviction was overturned in May 2017. \nAbout the curator \nFatma Hendawy Yehia is an Egyptian-Canadian curator\, based in Toronto since 2017. Yehia graduated in 2020 from the Master of Visual Studies Curatorial program at university of Toronto. Since 2008\, Yehia held different positions at the New Library of Alexandria including Head of Permanent Exhibitions (2010-12). She was the Assistant Curator at the AGYU\, Toronto (2021-22). She was Guest Curator at Images Festival 2022\, and currently she works as Assistant Archivist at the Art Museum\, University of Toronto. Yehia participated in curatorial workshops (including Tate Intensive 2017)\, residencies (ProHelvetia and ZKU/Berlin) and curated several projects in Egypt\, UK\, Switzerland\, France\, Germany\, and Canada. Her curatorial practice focuses on investigating censored archives\, questioning inaccessible histories\, and navigating militarised spaces. \nAccessibility \nASL Interpretation and live captioning will be made available at this event.\nCritical Distance prioritizes creative and collaborative approaches to access in conversation with guest curators\, artists\, access professionals\, and people in community. For any questions or more information\, please contact us at info@criticaldistance.ca. \n– \nGarden of Broken Shadows is made possible through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Critical Distance gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Arts Council\, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/in-conversation-ahmed-naji-and-fatma-hendawy/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Talks + Panels
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/06/AhmedNaji_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20231013T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20231013T200000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20240314T163624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240314T195935Z
UID:19171-1697220000-1697227200@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Live Performance: Adee Roberson and Rashid Zakat
DESCRIPTION:Live Performance\nAdee Roberson and Rashid Zakat \nFriday\, October 13th\, 2023\n6:00 pm\n401 Richmond\, Critical Distance\, Suite 122 \nAs part of the opening reception of this bridge between starshine and clay\,  artist Adee Roberson will present an activation and performance in the gallery at 6:00 pm\, where she will be channeling oceanic and cosmic sounds through synthesizer\, percussion and voice. \nAt 6:30 pm\, artist Rashid Zakat will perform in the Urbanspace Gallery just around the corner from the gallery. Using two turntables and a mixer\, Zakat live-edits an archive of personal and public films\, found footage and animation to produce a spontaneous and thoughtful audio-visual narrative. Part dance party\, part live video art performance\, Revival! is a celebration of the visual and sonic frequencies that are contained within and spill out of Black ecstatic experiences. These images and sounds marry and multiply to tell textured stories of African cultural retention\, the relationship between survival and faith\, and the collective creative strategies of adaptation\, joy\, and mutual aid embedded in Black life and history in the Americas. \nASL interpretation and a Deaf performance will feature alongside the Revival! performance from artist Rashid Zakat. \nThis is a free\, public event: everyone is invited. \n  \n\nPhoto: Rashid Zakat performing Revival! at Critical Distance. Photo: Ashman Deshmukh. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/live-performance-adee-roberson-and-rashid-zakat/
LOCATION:401 Richmond\, 401 Richmond St. West\, Toronto\, ON\, M5V3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Performances
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2023/09/Rashid-Revival_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240118T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240118T190000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20240109T140825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240925T034148Z
UID:19154-1705597200-1705604400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:EVENT: Diasporic Futurisms: Temporal Tempest
DESCRIPTION:Diasporic Futurisms is excited to announce the launch of the virtual database Temporal Tempest at Critical Distance Centre for Curators on January 18\, 2024 at 5pm.  \nThis project has been developed to understand and disseminate how artists and organizations are utilizing and engaging with themes of diasporic futurisms in Canadian arts culture. The database showcases visual art\, sound art\, media art\, and documentation of curatorial projects that materialize the genre of diasporic futurisms. \nThe premiere of Temporal Tempest features twelve projects by arts practitioners across Canada\, including Quite Ourselves\, Camila Salcedo\, Tamil Archive Project\, Kofi Oduro\, nichola feldman-kiss\, Karina Iskandarsjah\, Candide Uyanze\, Jasmine Liaw\, Brigita Gedgaudas\, Luis N. Del Angel\, Rah Eleh\, and Olivia Mc Gilchrist. Each project speaks to themes of diasporic futurisms through interactive digital worlds\, coding\, video performance\, digital archives\, and new media art. Themes of works that have been included in this database are: magical realism\, fantasy\, science fiction\, speculative fiction\, folklore\, and related sub-genres.  \nThis project has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. The launch event is delivered in partnership with Critical Distance and Trinity Square Video and sponsored by V-Tape and SAVAC.  \nLearn more at: diasporicfuturisms.com
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/diasporic-futurisms-temporal-tempest/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Community Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2024/01/TemporalTempest-CDCCweb.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240928T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240928T130000
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20240925T032915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240927T131613Z
UID:19409-1727528400-1727528400@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Ontario Culture Days: Collage with Bushra Junaid
DESCRIPTION:As part of Ontario Culture Days at 401 Richmond Street West\, Burnt Sugar artist Bushra Junaid will share her collage practice in a drop-in hands-on workshop. Junaid will describe how she has treated turn of the twentieth century photographs of Caribbean sugarcane workers as family portraiture; renaming and reinventing them to resist erasure. By collaging period ads onto the subjects’ clothing\, she complicates understandings of Black Atlantic history. \nMaterials will be provided. Using paint and found materials (i.e. magazines\, fabric\, matte board\, etc.) workshop participants will create one-of-a-kind collages that engage with the themes of the Burnt Sugar exhibition. We also encourage you to bring your own family photos\, mementos\, and interesting images — the better to make something truly meaningful to you. \nNo experience necessary\, and spaces are first come\, first served. If we’re full when you arrive\, don’t fret\, as there will be over 20 other FREE arts-focused interactive events throughout the building! The Ontario Culture Days Festival is an annual celebration of arts\, culture and heritage taking place each fall across the province. This year their Toronto headquarters is located at 401 Richmond Street West\, a restored\, heritage-designated\, industrial building turned arts-and-culture hub in downtown Toronto. It is home to over 140 artists\, cultural producers\, social innovators\, micro-enterprises\, festivals\, shops\, and galleries\, including Critical Distance Centre for Curators. \n 
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/ontario-culture-days-collage-with-bushra-junaid/
LOCATION:Critical Distance\, Suite 122 at 401 Richmond Street West\, Toronto\, Ontario\, M5V 3A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2024/09/Bushra-Junaid-Sweet-Childhood-2017-e1727235375835.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260113
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261214
DTSTAMP:20260413T084533
CREATED:20260114T012807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260115T194910Z
UID:20311-1768262400-1797206399@criticaldistance.ca
SUMMARY:Lucky 13: A message from our Founding Director
DESCRIPTION:Happy 2026! My name is Shani Khoo Parsons\, and I’m the founder and current director of Critical Distance Centre for Curators. \nOn this 13th day of a brand new year\, I thought it might be nice to reintroduce myself and share some background on why I started a not-for-profit devoted to critical curatorial practice and inquiry. \n>>> TL;DR? DONATE NOW! <<< \nOriginally from Philadelphia\, I moved to Toronto at the end of 2008 with my family\, and during my first few years in Canada\, I focused on nurturing my young son — and my own growing interest in curating; my curiosity sparked over a decade of working with curators at museums and galleries in New York. By 2013\, with Jasper entering elementary\, I decided to take a chance on this little dream\, opening a not-for-profit project space for curatorial experimentation in the newly repurposed school that became Youngplace. \nEmerging from conversations with both professors and peers I met in the curatorial program at OCADU\, this space — which I named TYPOLOGY — was conceived from day one as a platform for guest-curated projects. As such\, it was never intended to be about me or my own topical interests\, but rather as a way to connect with the local curatorial community in collaboration and conversation on critical approaches to curating and exhibition-making. \nBetween 2013 and 2016\, TYPOLOGY supported 14 exhibitions\, 3 screening programs\, 2 book launches\, and an event series; participated in two art book fairs\, and produced our first public art billboard in collaboration with local and international guest curators and artists at all levels of professional development. \nFollowing a full-house roundtable discussion with local curators in 2016\, with demand for our platform made clear\, we renamed the space Critical Distance Centre for Curators to underscore our curatorial mission and dedication to supporting critical inquiry and experimental practices. \nAnd the rest is history — a history we’ll be revisiting and celebrating throughout our Lucky 13th year even as we continue to pursue new directions for Critical Distance! Whatever the future may bring\, it’s the collaborations\, conversations\, and connections that this work makes possible which in turn make this labour of love still so worthwhile after 13 years— and I hope — worthy of your support as well. \nIf you agree that Toronto’s dedicated space for curators is worth supporting — a place to gather\, learn with each another\, develop new projects\, and level up your professional practice in collaboration with the artists and audiences we both work with and serve — please consider supporting our LUCKY 13 crowdfunding campaign so we can continue to support critical curatorial research and production both impactfully and sustainably. \nWe’re adding new perks each month so check out our LUCKY 13 Donation Page for updates — and whatever you can contribute\, I sincerely thank you for showing up for CDCC! \nWith gratitude\,\nShani
URL:https://criticaldistance.ca/event/lucky-13-a-message-from-our-founding-director/
LOCATION:Critical Distance\, Suite 122 at 401 Richmond Street West\, Toronto\, Ontario\, M5V 3A8\, Canada
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://criticaldistance.ca/assets/2025/07/180-What-Can-Dance-Curation-Do-20250717-HC_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR