CURATOR: Kay Rangel
ARTISTS: Kay Rangel and Lu Lopez
NOVEMBER 26, 2022, to APRIL 28, 2023
Outdoor public exhibition, on window display at 906 Queen St W
JOHN B. AIRD GALLERY is delighted to present The Gift of a Clementine, curated by Kay Rangel, this startling visual and profound 2-part multidisciplinary street-facing window installation combines the video work and performance of emergent curator and artists, Lu Lopez and Kay Rangel.
The Gift of a Clementine will be on view at the Aird’s ARTSCAPE space (on Queen Street West at Crawford) from November 26, 2022, to April 28, 2023.
Kay Rangel writes, “The Gift of a Clementine, invites viewers to bring their awareness to the present moment”.
Displayed on a pair of flat-screen monitors facing the foot traffic on Queen West, The Gift of a Clementine acts to shift pedestrians’ focus subtlety but intentionally interrupting the often-chaotic urban flow.
Further amplifying the intentions of, The Gift of a Clementine, Rangel explains, “The artists have created a conversation between both screens: in one of the videos, the public can see a pair of hands attentively studying a clementine. They touch it, move it around and after having absorbed it, they peel it. A mouth appears in the second video, the subject is now eating the clementine. Retrieving inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh’s article Dharma Talk: The Art of Living, Lopez, and Rangel remind the public that the sole purpose of eating a tangerine “is to eat the tangerine” (Hanh).”
BIOGRAPHIES
Lu Lopez (b. 2001) is a Mexican-bred Toronto-based emerging artist whose practice focuses on exploring the space surrounding them. Lopez works as a storyteller; they enrich themselves with the environment and people that encompass them to communicate their distinctive optics through different mixed media such as analog photography, video work, painting, and drawing. They’re currently aiming for a Diploma in Visual & Creative Arts at Sheridan College.
Kay Rangel (b. 2002) is an emerging artist and curator from Mexico City-based in Toronto. She’s examining new ways in which curatorial practices could have a more caring structure within art institutions. Through painting and video, the artist’s main body of work depicts her close observation of her surroundings and emotions, leading her to inquire into topics such as intimacy, spirituality, and connection. She is currently working towards a BFA in Criticism & Curatorial Practice with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies at OCAD University.
The artists wish to express special gratitude towards Carla Garnet, director of the John B. Aird Gallery, and Amish Morrell, writer, critic, curator, and educator at OCAD University.
