Annual Report 2012- 2013

The Power Plant exhibItions Contemporary Art Gallery 1

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery Table of Contents

“Carved out of an old red-brick building that originally housed generating equipment ... 4 President’s Report The Power Plant has instantly 5 Director’s Report 7 Exhibitions become one of Toronto’s most 14 Publications exciting and best designed 15 Education & Public Programs 29 Events art-display spaces.” 34 Members & Supporters 36 Statement of Operations - Christopher Hume, Toronto Star, 1 May 1987

“Unquestionably, The Power Plant is a valuable addition to Toronto and to Harbourfront, of which it is a kind of genius loci.”

- Adele Freedman, The Globe and Mail, 2 May 1987

Photo of the construction of The Power Plant, 1987.

annual report 2012-2013 3 audiences for those exhibitions, positions Throughout its 25 year history, The the public in 1987. As a result, The Power other, forming a strong community of President’s The Power Plant well for continued success. Power Plant has enjoyed the continuous Director’s Plant is enjoying increasing numbers of dedicated art enthusiasts. Report support of Harbourfront Centre. I thank Report people through its doors, and 77% of The members of the Board of Directors William Boyle and the staff of Harbour- those who visit are first-time visitors. This special year brought many changes were very proud to be engaged in the front Centre for their dedication, which is Thanks to our supporters, the gallery is to our organization. In order to meet celebrations of our 25th anniversary year, felt in many ways. now positioned to build on this success our future challenges and find new ways which brought extraordinary exhibitions, and open its doors to ensure access to as to engage audiences, we created two new events and programs to The Power Plant 2012–2013 was a period of reflection and many people as possible. positions and welcomed Kristine Bowen, that would not have been possible renewal for the strategic leadership team the Curator of Education & Public without the financial support of key at The Power Plant, which brought several The gallery presented a year of outstand- Programs, and Seowon Bang, the corporations, individuals, private sector changes to the organization at the Board ing exhibitions that represented the best Website and Communications Assistant. supporters, and programming partners. level. We bid farewell to a number of of contemporary art production and a We thank those who left the organization For example, the support of the Hal members of our Board of Directors: diversity of art practices based in Toronto, for new opportunities: Linda Chalmers, Jackman Foundation enabled The Power Paul Butler, Michael Cooper, Ted Geatros, Canada and around the world. As such, all Tiffany Cox, Jon Davies, Edward Kanerva, Plant to open its doors to visitors without Shanitha Kachan, Ken Lum, Dr. Paul Marks, shows required significant resources, and Melanie O’Brian, Christy Thompson, charging admission fees, resulting in an and Elisa Nuyten. On behalf of the entire we were once again fortunate to garner and Ann Whittall, for all of their hard increased number of visitors all year long. Board and the staff of The Power Plant, support from private and public funders work. Know that your efforts will not be From September to November, through I would like to thank these individuals for to present these projects to Toronto forgotten. We also welcomed many new an important collaboration with the their commitment to The Power Plant, audiences, such as the 24-hour screenings staff members such as Mary-Kathleen National Gallery of Canada, and with the their vision, their time, and their generous of Christian Marclay’s The Clock. The Dunn, Ahlia Moussa, Julia Paoli, and support of President’s Council member financial support. In particular, I would exhibition program also proved to be Mark Teeple, who have picked up the Jay Smith, Laura Rapp and Carol and like to thank Shanitha Kachan, our former in touch with recent social and political reigns and pushed forward with our new Morton Rapp, The Power Plant brought Board President, who completed her term issues in our collective contemporary projects and programs. I wish to thank Christian Marclay’s The Clock to Toronto. in June 2012. Shanitha worked tirelessly lives, such as the Beat Nation: Art, Hip all staff members of The Power Plant, More than 17,000 visitors were fascinated for The Power Plant and helped shape its Hop and Aboriginal Culture exhibition who are a highly creative and dedicated by this contemporary masterpiece, vision. As well, we are very grateful to from the Vancouver Art Gallery. As a team, who I am proud to lead and work

which was supported by RBC Wealth Shanitha and her husband Gerry Sheff for Photo courtesy Conseil des arts de Montréal result, both exhibitions, as well as the rest with all through the year. I would also Management and other generous donors. their very generous financial support of of our 2012-2013 programs, engaged a like to extend my deepest thanks to During the 2012-2013 year, The Power With the generous support of TD Bank, the gallery. I was so honoured and proud to celebrate record number of visitors in the fall and President of the Board of Directors Plant celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Power Plant was able to present Beat the 25th anniversary of The Power Plant winter seasons. Margaret McNee and Chief Executive This milestone caused us to look back Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Cul- The Power Plant welcomed Jeremy Laing with its invaluable community of support- Officer of Harbourfront Centre William on how The Power Plant has earned its ture, a thought-provoking assemblage of and David Lavin as new members of ers this year. Not only did this milestone The Power Plant celebrates a year that Boyle, as well as the members of the international reputation as Canada’s work by 23 Canadian and North American the Board and I look forward to working year provide an opportunity for reflection sustained a high level of corporate Board of Directors of The Power Plant, leading public art gallery devoted to Aboriginal artists, which was circulated by together with all directors to enable The on the gallery’s prestigious history, but it and public funding for public programs, for their ongoing leadership and contemporary art, and to look forward the Vancouver Art Gallery. Beat Nation Power Plant to achieve its primary goal also set a foundation for future growth in too. For example, CIBC returned as our unwavering support. to maintaining this leadership position in attracted diverse audiences and set the of bringing the best of contemporary many different areas of our multi-level Primary Education Sponsor and thanks to the years to come. stage for The Power Plant to participate in art to audiences in Toronto, Canada and operations. the support of BMO Financial Group, we The Power Plant is incessantly working new collaborative projects with other the world. expanded upon the Power Kids program to strengthen its position in the arts Instrumental to the future of any art organizations outside the world of art. The Power Plant began the year by by doubling its offerings and providing community at large. We strive to be a gallery is its leader. In 2012–2013, The I would like to thank all members of the announcing funding from the Hal Jackman all workshops to children free of charge. thought provoking and accessible Power Plant welcomed Gaëtane Verna Power Ball is the largest annual fundraiser Board of Directors and all staff members of Foundation to offer free admission for the We also created a new program of public gathering place for artists and for our as Director. Gaëtane brings a wealth of for the gallery and in June 2012, the party The Power Plant for everything they have entire anniversary year. This generous conversations between artists and various audiences at the same time, experience earned at other public paid tribute to the 25th anniversary with done and will do to contribute to the past contribution from the Foundation was a curators that reflected on our history and whether we host visitors on site or galleries in Canada, most recently as the the theme Quarter-Life Crisis. A sold-out and future success of The Power Plant. continuation of a long history of their expanded upon the ideas presented by online from all points on the globe. Executive Director and Chief Curator of crowd enjoyed the event, which could not support, which provided free admission the work in the gallery’s exhibitions – a This anniversary year celebrates a legacy the Musée d’art de Joliette in Landaudière, have succeeded without the dedicated Margaret C. McNee to the gallery throughout the summer program that continues today. in the presentation of contemporary art Quebec. Gaëtane is a recognized leader work of its committee and Co-Chairs: President, Board of Directors, months. In the years ahead, The Power here in Canada, and more than ever, in the Canadian visual arts community, Rui Amaral, Amanda Blakely, Ashleigh The Power Plant Plant is pleased to announce the continua- Celebrating our 25th anniversary with we are committed to building on this having participated in a number of Dempster and Michael Liebrock. tion of the ALL YEAR, ALL FREE program our Members was extra special. Members successful history by creating a gallery committees and juries of national due to the generous support of BMO are key ambassadors and patrons of that constantly strives to be an environ- importance while organizing and On behalf of The Power Plant, I thank our Financial Group. BMO has also been a the gallery, key to its ongoing success, ment where important ideas interlace presenting exhibitions that travelled government funders: the Canada Council committed supporter of The Power Plant so to acknowledge their commitment with artists’ work and the spectator, a across Canada and engaging international for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and for more than a decade. Partnering with and thank them for their support, the destination where all can engage in the contemporary artists in her diverse the Toronto Arts Council. I thank our BMO in a brand new way, the gallery is gallery expanded its Membership contemporary visual arts together. projects. The energy which Gaëtane Primary Education Sponsor CIBC, and I able to drop all admission fees for the benefits and introduced new programs brings to The Power Plant, her enthusiasm thank all of the Power Players: BMO next three years. The expansion of this such as Art After Hours, all to provide our for exciting, cutting-edge exhibitions, Financial Group, CIBC, Manulife Financial, program reconnects the gallery with its most loyal audiences with a deeper level Gaëtane Verna and her commitment to building new RBC, Rogers, Stonegate and TD Bank. history, when it opened free of charge to of engagement with art and with each Director, The Power Plant

annual report 2012-2013 5 Installation view of The Clock at Paula Cooper Gallery. Summary Board of Copyright Christian Marclay. Courtesy Paul Cooper Gallery, New York of Success Directors

In 2012-2013, The Power Plant presented 10 exhibitions; President & Secretary Margaret McNee welcomed 57,787 visitors to the gallery; produced 3 publications in print; engaged 571,066 with Facebook; Vice-Presidents John Matheson provided information to 162,387 visitors to the website; Pamela Meredith hosted 110 educational programs for or more than 4,956 Keith Thomson participants, including 177 children who attended Power Treasurer Kids workshops; presented 69 programmed tours and Gord Love conducted 75 gallery tours; received $690,016 in federal, Directors provincial, and local grants, as well as $1,063,751 in William J.S. Boyle, C.M. private gifts and support; and the gallery was assisted by John Clinton 45 volunteers who contributed more than 600 hours. Perry Dellelce Justine Deluce Jane Halverson Trinity Jackman Mandate Jeremy Laing Aaron Latner The Power Plant is Canada’s leading public gallery devoted exclusively to David Lavin contemporary visual art. It is a vital forum for the advanced artistic culture of our Michael Liebrock time that offers an exceptional facility and professional support to diverse living Liza Mauer artists while engaging equally diverse audiences in their work. The Power Plant Nancy McCain pursues its activities though exhibitions, publications and public programming. Anthony Novac It fulfills its mandate by generating: exhibitions that represent the range of Eleanor Shen advanced practice in visual arts; publications that increase knowledge of Jeff Stober contemporary art; lectures and symposia that encourage debate and further Victoria Webster understanding; interpretative tools that invite visitors to question, explore and reflect upon their experiences; programming that incorporates other areas of President’s Council Thomas H. Bjarnason culture when they intersect with visual art. Lonti Ebers James D. Fleck, O.C. Victoria Jackman Vision Phil Lind Evan Siddall The Power Plant will be a leading international centre for contemporary art, Jay Smith renowned for its global vision and special commitment to groundbreaking contemporary Canadian art and widely supported as essential to the cultural infrastructure in Toronto, Ontario, and Canada. Exhibitions annual report 2012-2013 7 Spring 2012

Attendance: 9,025 Website visits: 29,197 Facebook reach: 57,265

Kerry Tribe Dissenting Histories Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber Super Students Dave Dyment Speak, Memory 25 Years of The Power Plant Autogestion, or Henri Lefebvre Public Installation 30 June – 26 August, 2012 24 March – 3 June, 2012 24 March – 26 August, 2012 in New Belgrade 25 April – 18 June, 2012 24 March - 18 June, 2012

Installation view of Kerry Tribe: Speak, Memory, Spring 2012. Installation view of Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of Installation view of Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber, Autogestion #4, Installation view of Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber, Installation view of Dave Dyment, Is It What It Is? And Other Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid The Power Plant, Spring 2012. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid Gazela, New Belgrade, 2009. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid Super Students #1, 2010. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid. Questions, 2012. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Curator: Melanie O’Brian Curator: Melanie O’Brian Curator: Melanie O’Brian Curator: Melanie O’Brian and Bonnie Rubenstein Curator: Melanie O’Brian with Jon Davies, Ed Kanerva, Anastasia Hare Support Donors and Julia Paoli Co-presented with Elisa Nuyten & David Dime The work of Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber Toronto artist Dave Dyment’s new comprised the first of two artist interven- project began with his exploration of Co-presented with Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of tions in the Dissenting Histories: 25 Years The Power Plant’s archives. Expanding The Power Plant was a dynamic project of The Power Plant exhibition, offering A component of the artists’ The University on his practice of research-based designed to exhibit, activate, reconsider, insight into the critical role of architecture Paradox project, this public installation conceptualism, his investigation resulted and put into dialogue the gallery’s rich in public space and in turn interrogates in a work presented within Dissenting The Power Plant presented a major solo on the south facade of The Power Plant histories. Designed by Markus Miessen, the very notion of public itself. Exploring Histories: 25 Years of The Power Plant exhibition of work by Los Angeles-based was presented in partnership with the a German architect and writer who has the importance of architecture in shaping during our Summer 2012 season. Dyment artist Kerry Tribe. Contextualizing the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography considered the history of the institution our social and urban imaginations, their is interested in the forces that shape Canadian premiere of a new project Festival. This large-scale billboard image at length and contributed to our thinking gallery and public installations demon- and reshape culture, and his work often through a selection of past works, the referenced public space, student agency about participation in public space and strated the values that underlied the employs re-framed found texts and exhibition Speak, Memory offered insight and organization. The work took on these design, the upstairs gallery was trans- production of architecture and the inter- vernacular photography. The centrepiece into Tribe’s ongoing interest in memory debates using the modernist architecture formed into a space to consider our ests that they represented. This work, of his response was a series of a thousand and the history and apparatus of film. of Simon Fraser University. history within local and international within this space, offered a critique of the questions culled from interviews, reviews, Engaging image, text and sound, Tribe’s contexts, as well as within present spatial relationship of architecture, the archive guest book scrawlings, inter-office work considers cognition, typically reveal- Since 1993, Vancouver- and Vienna-based and theoretical concerns. Over an and urban change with social processes communiqués, memos and emails found ing its content through a kind of structural artists Sabine Bitter and Helmut Weber extended period, the space offered and economic forces. in the dusty banker boxes of The Power storytelling. Often working with multiple have collaborated on projects addressing visitors opportunities to see rotating Plant archives. They ranged from the projections and timed loops, her use of urban geographies, architectural repre- artist interventions and talks responding philosophical (So where is reality to be the literal mechanics of the moving image sentation and related visual politics. Their to our archives. found?) to the practical (Will there be a suggests that the medium is capable of work has been shown internationally. dinner?). The work also included a series mirroring processes of comprehension, of photographs of pre-installed artworks; memory and doubt. snapshots which were intended to be viewed only for shipping, customs and insurance purposes situated in our North Gallery.

annual report 2012-2013 exhibItions 9 Summer 2012 Fall 2012

Attendance: 20,632 Attendance: 18,796 Website visits: 34,886 Website visits: 61,153 Facebook reach: 72,186 Facebook reach: 92,957

Tools for Conviviality Omer Fast Christian Marclay 30 June – 26 August, 2012 Continuous Coverage The Clock 14 September – 14 September – 25 November, 2012 25 November, 2012

Installation view of Tools for Conviviality, Summer 2012. Installation view of Tools for Conviviality, Summer 2012. Installation view of Omer Fast: Continuous Coverage, A lineup to see Christian Marclay: The Clock, Fall 2012. Installation view of The Clock at Paula Cooper Gallery. Copyright Christian Marclay, The Clock, 2010. Single channel video. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid Summer 2012. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid Photo by Henry Chan Christian Marclay Courtesy Paul Cooper Gallery, New York Duration: 24 hours. Courtesy the National Gallery of Canada

Curator: Melanie O’Brian critique. The exhibition took place both Curator: Melanie O’Brian Organized by The Clock (2010) is a unique and compel- Years in the making, The Clock examines the National Gallery of Canada / Organisée par Supported by le Musée des beaux-arts du Canada Support for the exhibition provided by inside and outside the gallery proper ling work created by world-renowned how time, plot, and duration are depicted the Power Players Program through a re-conquest of space, the sound and video artist Christian Marclay. in cinema. Although the audience can reassessment of information acquisition The work is an ode to time and cinema, use the piece to tell the local time, viewers and a politic of being more present in and is comprised of thousands of can experience a vast range of cinematic the world around us. Here, contemporary The Power Plant presented a solo Purchased in 2011 with the