Permanent Collection (2021)

Installation, variable dimensions
Originally commissioned for GTA21 Triennial, MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto’s inaugural Triennial, 2021

Permanent Collection (2021) is an installation of a large-scale structure that turns up uninvited inside the walls of the institution. Hidden in a trompe-l'œil that mimics the perimeters of the exhibition walls, it functions as both a storage cabinet and a display unit which houses what appears to be a number of ancient artefacts in a seemingly odd placement. Upon pulling the cabinet open, the objects come into view overlaid with a short list of questions. Akin to those commonly offered in a personality test, their neutrality and temperateness refract the gaze and offer a moment of internal reflection. While they stand in place of title cards and object labels commonly found in museum displays, the questions offer no guidance regarding the provenance of these objects, their age, or their history, leaving much to be speculated.

Curators: Daisy Desrosiers, Rui Mateus Amaral, and November Paynter.
Special thanks to: David Ronchka, Avia Wiseman, Uroš Jelić, and Hussein Nakhal.