FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MOCCA Launches Exhibitions in Partnership with WorldPride 2014
Toronto, Canada, June 19, 2014 – The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is pleased to launch Over the Rainbow: Seduction and Identity in partnership with WorldPride 2014 and Par Amour / Paramour, an exhibition organized by MOCCA and the National Gallery of Canada. Join us at MOCCA on Saturday, June 21 at 7:00 pm for the opening party. Events continue at MOCCA throughout the summer with a panel discussion, artist talks and closing party on Sunday, August 17.
Over the Rainbow is a group exhibition of artworks drawn from one of Toronto’s most significant private collections of contemporary art. The exhibition features works from well-known Canadian and international artists, including Stephen Andrews, Attila Richard Lukacs, Public Studio, Justine Kurland, Betty Goodwin, General Idea, Andy Fabo, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, and many others.
The exhibition represents a modest selection of works from the collection of Salah Bachir and Jacob Yerex, by both queer and heterosexual artists, broadly assembled around the themes of seduction and identity. Grouped together the exhibition presents works, mostly in drawing, painting and photography, which acknowledge certain archetypes associated with Queer Culture, drawing relationships between a historically marginalized culture and mainstream culture, and ways in which these have influenced each other. By focusing on reciprocal influences and relationships, and presented within the context of WorldPride 2014 Toronto, the thematic approach is meant to consider commonalities of human experience over opposition and difference.
“Art is such a powerful medium for expression, and often chronicles the challenging and important issues of our time. We are proud to partner with MOCCA as they bring together pieces from the personal collection of Salah Bachir and Jacob Yerex, long time generous supporters of the LGBTQ community in Toronto,” says Chrystal Dean, WorldPride Manager.
Par Amour / Paramour, an exhibition organized by MOCCA and the National Gallery of Canada
The exhibition includes works by Stephen Andrews, Robert Flack, Jean-Luc Verna and Andrew Zealley. An intimate portrayal of gay male sexuality and beauty in the face of mortality is on view in Par amour / Paramour. From Stephen Andrews’ iconic Facsimile drawings that memorialize men lost to AIDS-related illnesses in the early 90s, to Robert Flack’s ornate depictions of the male body as a vessel of tantric power in response to his own diagnosis as HIV+, the exhibition features drawings, prints, photography, and an ambient audio soundtrack by Andrew Zealley that together etch a moving and emotional record of a community that came of age through its adversity in the face of loss. The show takes its title from Jean-Luc Verna’s work that subverts an emblematic Hollywood studio name and logo to reference the existence of a “paramour,” an illicit lover, as well as to an act done “par amour”: by love.
EVENTS & PROGRAMMING
OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, June 21, 7:00 PM
OVER THE RAINBOW SPEAKER SERIES
Panel Discussion: Seduction and Identity
Thursday, June 26, 7:00 pm
As part of the Over the Rainbow Speaker Series, exhibiting artists Stephen Andrews, Andy Fabo, Elle Flanders, and Attila Richard Lukacs will join Artistic Director and Curator David Liss to discuss themes of seduction and identity.
Artist Talk with Tony Scherman
Thursday, July 17, 7:00 pm
Artist Talk with Greg Gorman
Tuesday, August 12, 7:00 pm
Closing Party
Sunday, August 17, 9:00 PM
Live performance by Carole Pope
#UnexpectedRainbow Photography Contest
Inspired by Over the Rainbow: Seduction and Identity, MOCCA is launching a social media photo contest on Friday, June 20 that asks participants to submit photos of the unexpected rainbows that they encounter.
Each week during the run of the exhibition, MOCCA’s Artistic Director and Curator, David Liss, will select a photo finalist. Voting will be opened up to the public to choose the grand prize winner from the 7 weekly finalists.
MOCCA has teamed up with promotional partner, Nikon Canada, to create an exciting grand prize consisting of a Nikon D5300 HD-SLR with 18-55mm VR Lens Kit and a MOCCA Household Membership.
www.mocca.ca/UnexpectedRainbow
Links / URLs
- Learn more about Over The Rainbow: Seduction and Identity
- Learn more about Par Amour/Paramour
- Learn more about the NGC@MOCCA program
Social
Twitter.com/MOCCA_TO
Facebook.com/MOCCA.Toronto
About MOCCA
The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art was born on the cusp of the millennium and has exploded onto the Toronto and Canadian art scene with ambitious local-to-global programming. Showcasing the work of 1,000 Canadian and international artists since re-locating to Queen Street West in 2005, MOCCA functions as a hub for cultural production and creative exchange. With a pioneering approach to partnership, MOCCA actively collaborates with like-minded organizations, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the National Gallery of Canada.
All programs and activities of the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art are supported by Toronto Culture, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, BMO Financial Group, individual memberships and private donations.
FREE ADMISSION at MOCCA is generously supported by the RBC Foundation.
About the National Gallery of Canada at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (NGC@MOCCA)
The National Gallery of Canada at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is a collaborative program of exclusive exhibitions in MOCCA’s Project Space, drawn from the NGC’s exceptional Contemporary Art collection.
The National Gallery of Canada at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is generously supported by THE ART DEPT., AXA Art Canada, and The Ouellette Family Foundation.
About WorldPride 2014 Toronto
WorldPride 2014 Toronto is an international celebration taking place from June 20-29, 2014 that incorporates activism, education, and the history and culture of global LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities. WorldPride 2014 Toronto is presented by Pride Toronto, producer of Canada’s largest annual festival of LGBTTIQQ2SA* culture and human rights, under license from InterPride. For more information visit www.worldpridetoronto.com
# # #
Press Contact:
Mark Savoia, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
msavoia@mocca.ca
416-395-7490