Close Encounters: Futurism in Contemporary Art

Online Panel Discussion
Close Encounters: Futurism in Contemporary Art
 

Rescheduling
Free | Online | Registration required

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Important Notice

We regret to inform you that this online panel discussion, scheduled for July 17, from 12:30 to 2 PM, has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

We apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience this may cause. We will be rescheduling this discussion shortly and will provide an update once the new date and time are confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Warm regards,
The Varley Art Gallery Team

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Close Encounters: Futurism in Contemporary Art is an online panel discussion programmed with the Varley Art Gallery’s current exhibition To go boldly. Join exhibiting artists Brendan Lee Satish Tang and Syrus Marcus Ware, along with curator Anik Glaude, for an insightful discussion about art and futurism.

About the Program 
 

Artists today embrace futurist aesthetics to envision futures that exceed our current realities. In particular, Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) creatives are using speculative aesthetics in their creative production. IBPOC artists and curators see futurisms, including Indigenous futurism, Afrofuturism, and ethnofuturisms, as aesthetic and political modes of worldmaking, particularly during a time of climate crisis, racial injustice, class struggle, and gender prejudice.

Exploring space has long been a metaphor for colonial "discovery," extractivism, and Western imperialism. Close encounters are not only indicative of colonial contact zones, but also provide a fertile ground for decolonization. Inspiring the Varley Art Gallery’s science fiction themed exhibition To go boldly, and the opening of York University’s new campus in Markham, this panel examines how futurist artists and curators envision the future they wish to inhabit.

In what ways does speculative aesthetics allow creatives to imagine a world of unlimited possibilities? What role does ancient and emerging technology play in these renderings? For IBPOC communities and their allies, what are the political, spiritual, and ethical stakes of this work?

To register for this online panel discussion, visit HERE.

About the Panelists

Dr. Marissa Largo is an Assistant Professor of Creative Technologies in the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design of York University. Her research and creation focus on the intersections of community engagement, race, gender and Asian diasporic cultural production. Her forthcoming book, Unsettling Imaginaries: Filipinx Contemporary Artists in Canada examines the work and oral histories of artists who imagine Filipinx subjectivity beyond colonial logics. Dr. Largo has received numerous awards and grants for her research and creative practice. Her 2021 curatorial project Elusive Desires: Ness Lee & Florence Yee at the Varley Art Gallery of Markham (September 2021 to January 2022) was recognized by the Galeries Ontario/Ontario Galleries (GOG) awards for best exhibition design and installation, and best curatorial writing. Dr. Largo is part of a team developing the new Creative Technologies BFA program at the York University Markham Campus, which will open its doors this Fall.

Brendan Lee Satish Tang, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1975, is a renowned contemporary ceramic artist celebrated for his fusion of traditional Asian motifs with futuristic, robotic aesthetics. Growing up in Canada, Tang pursued a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and an MFA from Southern Illinois University. His acclaimed "Manga Ormolu" series juxtaposes intricate porcelain works with elements inspired by Japanese manga and modern technology. Tang's innovative approach has earned him international recognition, with exhibitions across North America and beyond. His work explores themes of cultural hybridity, identity, and globalization, challenging conventional boundaries in ceramic art.

Syrus Marcus Ware is a Vanier Scholar, visual artist, activist, curator, and educator. Using painting, installation, and performance, Syrus works with and explores social justice frameworks and Black activist culture. His work has been shown widely, including solo shows at Grunt Gallery in 2018, 2068: Touch Change, and Wil Aballe Art Projects in 2021, Irresistible Revolutions. His work has been featured as part of the inaugural Toronto Biennial of Art in 2019 in conjunction with the Ryerson Image Centre (Antarctica and Ancestors, Do You Read Us? (Dispatches from the Future)), as well as for the Bentway’s Safety in Public Spaces Initiative in 2020 (Radical Love).

Syrus has participated in group shows at the Never Apart in Montreal, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of York University, the Art Gallery of Windsor, and as part of the curated content at Nuit Blanche 2017 ( The Stolen People; Won't Back Down). His performance works have been part of festivals across Canada, including at Cripping The Stage (Harbourfront Centre, 2016 & 2019), Complex Social Change (University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, 2015) and Decolonizing and Decriminalizing Trans Genres (University of Winnipeg, 2015). 

Anik Glaude is an eleventh-generation settler of Franco-Ontarian ancestry. As curator at the Varley Art Gallery of Markham, she oversees the gallery's exhibitions, collections, and publishing. Some of her curatorial work includes group exhibitions like To go boldly (2024), Refracting the Lens (2023), Refuge (2018), and Mother Tongue (2017). Additionally, she has curated solo exhibitions with Karen Tam, Luke Parnell, Jon Sasaki, Xiaojing Yan, and Brendan Fernandes, among others. She is the recipient of several awards from Galleries Ontario Galleries (formerly Ontario Association of Art Galleries), notably for her innovative works in collections-based exhibitions, including Field Notes (2023) and Moving Through Darkness into the Clearing with works by Greg Staats (2019).