Winter 2023 season

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, is proud to announce its exhibitions and public programming from February 3 to May 14, 2023. Canada’s leading public contemporary art gallery presents exhibitions about intimacy, resistance, and community, alongside dynamic public programs.

As part of its year-long 35th anniversary, The Power Plant is presenting two solo exhibitions. Brenda Draney, an Edmonton-based Cree artist from Sawridge First Nation, is premiering six newly commissioned works, and Amartey Golding, a UK-based multidisciplinary artist, is debuting his first solo exhibition in Canada. The gallery is also presenting the first installment of the two-part group exhibition in parallel, featuring six Ontario-based artists: Rouzbeh Akhbari, Joi T. Arcand, Aylan Couchie, Simon Fuh, Anique Jordan, and Julia Rose Sutherland. 

The public programs accompanying the Winter 2023 season include a series of conversations with the exhibiting artists; a master class with Brenda Draney for Ontario-based artists; a screening of the TIFF-premiered film The Maiden (2022), written and directed by Graham Foy; and a special performance in response to Amartey Golding’s exhibition. Sunday Scene and Power Kids will continue to take place on select Sundays throughout the season.  

“The Power Plant’s longstanding public programs, such as Power Kids and Sunday Scene, continue to offer accessible entry points into conversations about contemporary art, while artist talks, screenings, and performances provide opportunities for deeper engagements with the exhibitions. We hope everyone will make the most of these offerings throughout the winter months.” —Carolyn Vesely, Interim Director 

“The winter 2023 exhibitions explore many sensitive yet timely subjects, including intimacy, generational trauma, and the lasting effects of colonialism. Through a broad range of talks, workshops, and events, The Power Plant continues to facilitate conversations on the critical issues of our times, whether that’s with children, first-time visitors, or experienced art enthusiasts and local artists.” —Adelina Vlas, Head of Curatorial Affairs 

Amartey Golding: In the comfort of embers 
Amartey Golding’s first solo exhibition in Canada features three films: Chainmail 3, 2018, from his Chainmail series, and Bring Me to Heal 1 and 2, 2021. These moving-image works are accompanied by two sculptures, which are garments seen in the films, as well as photographs that elaborate on the imagery and narratives in the projections.  

Brenda Draney: Drink from the river 
Drink from the river, Brenda Draney’s first solo exhibition at The Power Plant, features a selection of existing and newly commissioned works that examine the complex nature of intimacy. Referencing her own memories and experiences living in Edmonton, the artist explores the layered meanings embedded in everyday motifs and situations. 

in parallel: Rouzbeh Akhbari, Joi T. Arcand, Aylan Couchie, Simon Fuh, Anique Jordan, and Julia Rose Sutherland 
in parallel is a group exhibition that brings together six artists from Tkaronto and surrounding areas, exploring how visual documentation and cultural practices can reclaim the narratives of their respective communities. The artists’ pursuit of alternative histories reflects a desire to preserve connections to lands, peoples, and ways of living that mould who they are. In doing so, they also highlight the impact of oppressive forces on numerous communities around the world that continue to resist erasure by undertaking land-based resistance. 

Winter 2023 public programs 
Artist workshop: Master class with Brenda Draney for practicing artists 
Artist talk: Brenda Draney in conversation with Jacqueline Kok 
Artist talk: Amartey Golding in conversation with Joséphine Denis 
Artist panel discussion: in parallel artists Rouzbeh Akhbari, Joi T. Arcand, Aylan Couchie, Simon Fuh, Anique Jordan, and Julia Rose Sutherland engage in a lively discussion 
Members event: Artist-led tour of in parallel 
Film screening: The Maiden (2022), written and directed by Graham Foy 
Performance: A performance in response to the work of Amartey Golding 
Power Kids: Workshops for children aged 7–12 on select Sundays throughout the season 
Sunday Scene: Thought leaders from the art world and beyond respond to the exhibitions 

For dates, times, and details on how to register, keep checking our Event Calendar and social media for updates.