Stan Douglas: Allegories of the Present

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Stan Douglas, "Ballantyne Pier, 18 June 1935," 2008

digital c-print mounted on dibond. © Stan Douglas. Courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro and David Zwirner.

Curated by Dr. Lisa Baldissera, Stan Douglas: Allegories of the Present celebrates the work of the eminent Canadian artist on the occasion of his representation of Canada at the Venice Biennale. Douglas is a photographer, installation artist and filmmaker whose work reveals complexities that often live beyond, behind or just beneath, the metanarratives of historical accounts.

In this selected group of photographs, this exhibition project follows Douglas’s eye as he examines the various image-based constructions that assist in history’s storytelling conventions. Borrowing widely from narrative structures such as the Hollywood film or classic literary work, his interrogations take us through visual accounts of the city of Vancouver and of the province, and of key cultural sites internationally, to broaden our understanding of how film and photography can be used to trouble the fissures of such storytelling, reconstructed historical memory and archives. This exhibition project concerns itself primarily with architectural and social spaces to produce what Douglas calls, ‘allegories of the present.’ Douglas’ work challenges perception and knowledge, demonstrating how important it is that we notice that things are not always as they seem.

Please join us for an opening reception from 5-7 PM on Thursday, September 8th.

This exhibition is accompanied by a robust online public program series curated by Dr. Karen Tam, titled REMIX History. Including roundtable discussions, panels and film screenings, this series considers the work from artists and filmmakers across Canada and parallels Douglas’s own investigations into the ways in which image systems and historical narratives work to produce critical understandings. Visit griffinartprojects.ca for detailed event listings.

Stan Douglas: Allegories of the Present is presented on the occasion of Douglas’s presentation at the 59th Venice Biennale where he represents Canada in the Canadian Pavilion. Curated by Reid Shier, Douglas’s Venice project will be presented in Fall 2022 at The Polygon.