Join us for an artist talk with Lebanese rapper El Rass at Dark Horse Cafe, located inside 401 Richmond. This event is free with registration; space is limited and seating is first-come, first-served. Immediately following the talk we will proceed to the Critical Distance gallery (Suite 122) for the opening reception of Garden of Broken Shadows, curated by Fatma Hendawy Yehia. 

Critical Distance is thrilled to co-present El Rass in concert with MARSM Canada at Adelaide Hall, 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.

June 29, 6 pm: Visitors will meet at the gallery (Suite 122) to experience the exhibition, Garden of Broken Shadows, before the group proceeds down the hallway to the courtyard for a conversation with artists Lamis Haggag and Marina Fathalla. This in-person event is free with registration.

July 29, 1-5 pm: Drop by the gallery for casual conversation with exhibition curator Fatma Hendawy Yehia. Registration is not required and admission is always free.

As part of the opening reception of this bridge between starshine and clay,  artist Adee Roberson will present an activation and performance in the gallery, where she will be channeling oceanic and cosmic sounds through synthesizer, percussion and voice. Next, artist Rashid Zakat will perform Revival! , a celebration of the visual and sonic frequencies that are contained within and spill out of Black ecstatic experiences.

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. Materials 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.