Nadia Myre | Code-Switching and Other Work
Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art
Preview 19th April 6-9pm
19th April - 7th May 2018
Friday - Wednesday 10am - 5pm, Thursday 10am - 8pm
The first presentation of Montreal-based artist Nadia Myre in Scotland, ‘Code-Switching and Other Work’ responds to the history of clay tobacco pipe production in Glasgow through photography, sculpture, sound and performance. As an Algonquin member of the Kitigàn-zìbì Anishinàbeg First Nation, Myre’s practice explores cross-cultural experiences and mediations as a strategy for recognising and reclaiming the contributions of indigenous arts and cultural production.
A by-product of the tobacco trade with the so-called New World, clay pipes were one of the first ‘disposable’ items to enter the market, purchased pre-stuffed with tobacco and the stems broken off incrementally as they were consumed. Described by Myre as ‘archaeological refuse,’ the pipe shards collected are skeletal, with a bone-like feel. Commissioned by Mother Tongue and Glasgow International 2018, Myre’s new work aims to decolonise histories of these trade items, highlighting their shifting meanings. Through processes of imprinting, documenting, weaving and excavating, ‘Code-Switching, and Other Work’ questions Western-centric modes of displaying ‘knowledge’ and asks enduring questions around Glasgow’s colonial past
Events
19th April 11:00 - 12:30, Glasgow Film Theatre Cinema 2 | GSA School of Fine Art Public Lecture Series presents: Nadia Myre. Free, booking required: further information at this link.
22nd April 12:00 – 13:30, Walking Tour led by Nadia Myre. Free; please see link for further details, route and booking.
Nadia Myre (b.1974) is a visual artist from Montreal and an Algonquin member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. For over a decade, her multi-disciplinary practice has been inspired by participant involvement, forging a dialogue through her work around identity, resilience and the politics of belonging. A mid-career exhibition of the artists’ work is currently on show at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, and in 2019, she will present a solo exhibition at Canada House, London. Myre has exhibited in solo and group presentations substantially across Canada, and internationally in locations spanning Gorée Island, Senegal; Art Mûr, Leipzig; Biennial of Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai Biennale, China. She has recently undertaken residencies with the McCord Museum, Montréal, and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Alberta. Myre’s work is held by collections including the Musée nationale des beaux arts du Québec; MacKenzie Art Gallery; City of Ottawa; National Gallery of Canada; Musée de la civilization (Québec); Canadian Museum of History; Contemporary Art Museum of Montreal; National Museum of American Indian; and Fonds Regional d’Art Contemporain de Lorraine in France. Her work can be found on permanent exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Gallery of Canada. In 2014, she was awarded the prestigious Sobey Art Award, and in 2017 was appointed the Canada Research Chair Research Chair in Indigenous Art Practice in the department of Studio Arts at Concordia University, Montreal.
#Gi2018 #nadiamyre #codeswitching
Supported by Glasgow International, British Council, Glasgow School of Art, Concordia University, Québec Government Office London, WASPS, Art Mûr, and Canada House.
Mother Tongue April 2018 'Code-Switching and Other Work' Press Release
Glasgow International October 2017 Programme Announcement Press Release
