AGO's Bright Signs exhibition features immersive video art by Theaster Gates, Kahlil Joseph, and more.
Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art is now on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, showcasing 11 large-scale installations that engage audiences through a combination of light, sound, and dynamic visuals. Curator Debbie Johnsen highlights the power of video art in capturing memory and historical narratives. Notable pieces include Theaster Gates' Progress Palace, which pays homage to 1970s Chicago nightlife with an iceberg-shaped disco ball and film projections, and Kahlil Joseph's Wildcat (Aunt Janet) (2016), which chronicles a surviving African American rodeo in Grayson, Oklahoma. The exhibition, featuring artists like Jenny Holzer and Sarah Sze, will be open until 14 October 2024, aiming to amplify marginalized voices and extend Nam June Paik's media art legacy.
Key facts
- Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art is on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario until 14 October 2024
- The exhibition features 11 large-scale video art works by artists including Theaster Gates, Kahlil Joseph, Jenny Holzer, and Sarah Sze
- Theaster Gates's installation Progress Palace includes an iceberg-shaped disco ball called Houseberg and references the 1970s Chicago nightclub scene and DJ Frankie Knuckles
- Kahlil Joseph's film Wildcat (Aunt Janet) (2016) documents an African American rodeo in Grayson, Oklahoma, honoring the late Aunt Janet
- Curator Debbie Johnsen states video art uses technology to make moments feel immediate and raise questions about memory, history, and visibility
- Theaster Gates sees nightclubs as historical sanctuaries for queer and Black people
- Kahlil Joseph says the all-black rodeo in an all-black town serves as a vortex to show Black advancement beyond stereotypes
- The exhibition references media art pioneer Nam June Paik's prediction that artists would work with electronic components
Entities
Artists
- Nam June Paik
- Jenny Holzer
- Kahlil Joseph
- Sarah Sze
- Theaster Gates
- Frankie Knuckles
- Debbie Johnsen
- Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Institutions
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Aesthetica Magazine
Locations
- Toronto
- Canada
- Chicago
- United States
- Oklahoma
- Grayson