When is now?
You have only to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives….Our memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action. Without it, we are nothing… – Luis Buñuel
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You have only to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives….Our memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action. Without it, we are nothing… – Luis Buñuel
What does it mean to rewind? How do we remember? When is now? As our world shifts towards an increasingly virtual existence, and our memories become relegated to gigabyte hard drives and remote servers, the act of remembering takes on a new and urgent significance.
Rewind: When is Now? is a collaborative exhibition between the University of Ottawa and the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon that questions how we look at the past, and the complex ways in which the act of remembering can affect our present. The concept of rewind has been explored as both a physical process and a strategy for accessing personal and cultural memory.
This show examines how subconscious fragments of memory can become reconstructed and transformed, as well as delving into the role memory plays in forming our sense of place and identity. In addition, many artists have probed their own personal experiences to create works that reflect on and challenge human perception.
The University of Ottawa curatorial team selected thirty-three works by artists and writers from Ottawa and Portland. The show was comprised of a wide variety of work including photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design, sound and video work, as well as several collaborative pieces. In addition, a small booklet of poetry on the theme of rewind was created, comprised of written work from English students at the University of Ottawa.
The show was exhibited at Gallery 115 at the University of Ottawa from March 29th to April 1st, 2010, before traveling to In Flux Gallery at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland where it was on display from April 15th to April 22nd, 2010.
Rewind: When is Now? included works by Katie Allred, Jessica Blackwood, Matthew Bowers, Clare Brebner, Patrice Brown, Esteban Comacho Steffens, Elizabeth Cline, Paige Côté, Carmen Denison, Anyse Ducharme, Britta Evans-Fenton, Carolyn Frank, Alicia Gordon, Dipna Horra, Jessica Keirn, Lindsay Korb, Kah Min Lee, Alfredo Lettenmaier, Lisa Levesque, John Loughman, Jennie Marshall, Laura Mitchell, Rena Myrtaj, Akira Nakamura, Nadya Pohran, Ann-Marie Polozova, Shannon Prevost, Tareq Rahman, Lydia Rosenberg, Sarah Sharp, Megan Taylor, Steven Tomlins, Jessie Weitzel, Chevelle Wiseman, Chris Wu, Lacey Van Nortwick.
Rewind: When Is Now? was curated by Paige Côté, Jessica Blackwood, Anyse Ducharme, Britta Evans-Fenton, Anna Kawaja, Lisa Levesque, Laura Mitchell, Rena Myrtaj, and Hannah Randazzo.
The In Flux version of the show was organized in addition by Avantika Bawa, Lydia Rosenberg, Patrice Brown and Lacey Van Nortwick.
Special thanks to the University of Ottawa and the Pacific North West College of Art.