Vivian Smith | Invisible Foundations: Labour, Gender, & Economic Cycles

×

Expand

Vivian Smith, “Glass Walls,” 2024

plexiglass, vinyl, images of the artist engaged in domestic work, 24"X24"X18" (courtesy of the artist)

Through a variety of media including beeswax-coated textiles, plexiglass, and transparent materials, Vivian examines how the labour of caregiving and domestic work simultaneously props up our economic systems while often limiting women's individual economic independence.

Each piece confronts the paradox of this labour: essential yet undervalued, physically demanding yet economically invisible, deeply personal yet systemically ignored. The exhibition challenges viewers to consider the true cost of work that remains unmeasured by traditional economic metrics.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Supported by City of Calgary through the Calgary Arts Development Authority