Ahasiw Maskegon-Iskwew, Archer Pechawis, Adrian Stimson, Cheryl L’hirondelle, Sheila Urbanoski
July 25 – August 28, 2015
Closing Reception: August 22nd, 8:00 p.m., 2nd floor, 1856 Scarth Street, Regina, SK
In partnership with Grunt Gallery, Neutral Ground and SOIL Media Art & Technology are pleased to present an exhibition honouring Cree/French Metis artist Ahasiw Maskegeon-Iskew (1958 – 2006) featuring two of his works from both Grunts and SOILs archives; White Shame, a performance from 1992, and Speaking the Language of Spiders, a net art project from 1997. Along with these two works will be displayed an audio work by Cheryl Lhirondelle (www.spiderlanguage.net) and a website by Archer Pechawis and Sheila Urbanoski (www.lovingthespider.net) created in response to Speaking the Language of Spiders as well as a video of Adrian Stimsons performance White Shame Re-worked.
Among the first Aboriginal artists in Canada working in new media and net art, Maskegon-Iskwews work as a curator, producer and writer laid important groundwork for Aboriginal artists in these fields and is an important voice in the development of these medias within the aboriginal communities. From 1996 to 1998, he worked to develop the position of Production Manager for SOIL Digital Media Production Suite, now SOIL Media Art & Technology at Neutral Ground. For his outstandingleadership and vision during that time, Ahasiw is acknowledged as one of SOIL’s founding members. Having established a long-range vision for the future of art & technology, his passion for the field also initiated new relationships with several of Canada’s Aboriginal artists still active today and contributing to an archive of that work.
