Gerald McMaster: Indigenous Views of the Other
The representation of Indigenous Americans by Europeans is a well-travelled yet one-way street. The practice of Indigenous artists representing Europeans is, on the other hand, an untravelled road.
In his illustrated lecture, Indigenous Views of the Other, Gerald McMaster presents works from across Canada and the northern United States. These works explore the visual strategies Indigenous artists employ to represent this relationship with their European “other.”
A groundbreaking curator, author, artist, and educator, McMaster is professor of Indigenous Visual Culture and Critical Curatorial Studies at OCAD University (Toronto), where he is Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Visual Culture & Curatorial Practice. Born near North Battleford, Saskatchewan, McMaster is Plains Cree/Member of the Siksika First Nation. He has held prestigious curatorial positions at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. In 2006, he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. His championing of the mainstream value of Indigenous art throughout his career has led to his being chosen to serve as Canadian Commissioner for the 1995 Venice Biennale, and as artistic director of the 2012 Biennale of Sydney. McMaster is currently collaborating on three major international projects in Europe, South America, and Australia.
This lecture is part of Remai Modern’s pre-launch program, Museums 3.0. Through a series of seminars and public presentations, Museums 3.0 addresses a range of conceptual, programming and professional issues shaping the terms of a 21st-century art museum. It represents an innovative, discursive, and collaborative approach to developing the thinking that will informs the artistic direction of Remai Modern.