Beckett: A Symposium -- Photos

Approximately one month ago, the Blackwood Gallery and the University of Toronto at Mississauga hosted a symposium on the subject of Samuel Beckett, his work, and his legacy. The symposium featured presentations by international speakers, a new-media performance, and it was followed by a film and video presentation at the Goethe-Institut (King Street W., Toronto).

There has been a tremendous amount of activity at the gallery over the past few weeks, particularly in preparation for our next exhibition, Unterspiel. For that reason, it’s taken a little longer than expected to get these pictures loaded. Hopefully, in the time that has passed, readers of this blog [you!] who attended the symposium will have had a chance to reflect on the various issues and ideas presented. We welcome your comments and captions as accompaniment to these pictures, and the symposium itself!

Another glowing review!

We're very happy that NOW Magazine also loved the show!


Have -you- had a chance to see it yet? There are only a few days left!

Terence liked it!

Here’s some cool news:

In the latest Akimblog, Terence Dick took some time to share his thoughts about 18:Beckett and his impressions were very positive. We're thrilled!

Re-posted from Akimblog, Toronto, December 7, 2006.



The big name group show (including heavy hitters like Gary Hill and Stan Douglas) at the Blackwood Gallery is currently tempting downtowners to make the trek out to U of T’s Mississauga campus. The exhibition, 18:Beckett, marks Samuel B’s 100th birthday and is as intriguing and problematic as these sorts of thematic mash-ups go. My knowledge of the Irish writer’s oeuvre is limited to a couple plays, a novel and the pop cultural trivia his name inspires, so I didn’t try too hard to connect each work to SB (though I’m sure curator Séamus Kealey attempts it in his catalogue essay and, if you’re interested, the whole text is available as a pdf on the gallery’s website). The highlight for me was finally seeing Bruce Nauman’s Clown Torture, though I always imagined it to be significantly more torturous. Actually, the most fun was tracking down half the exhibit (spread as it is over five sites) to a discreetly marked door that housed offices for a now abandoned library. Hooray for alternative spaces!

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Ride the Beckett Bus from downtown Toronto!

We’ve just added another Beckett Bus! Now there’s no excuse to miss this fantastic exhibition ;-)

BUS SCHEDULE #2
(Serving downtown Toronto)

2:30 pm pick up -- Gladstone Hotel
...........................1214 Queen Street West, Toronto
3:00 pm drop off -- Blackwood Gallery (Kaneff Centre)
...........................University of Toronto at Mississauga
...........................3359 Mississauga Rd N
4:30 pm pick up .-- Blackwood Gallery (Kaneff Centre)
...........................University of Toronto at Mississauga
...........................3359 Mississauga Rd N
5:00 pm drop off -- Gladstone Hotel
...........................1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

To accommodate what we hope will be a bus load of people [make that TWO bus loads of people!], Seamus will offer two tours. The first will take place from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, and the second will take place from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.

All of this is happening on Sunday, December 17, so mark it down on your calendars and plan to join us!

Ride the Beckett Bus!

What are you doing on Sunday, December 17, 2006?

We’ve coordinated a FREE Mississauga shuttle bus to the Blackwood Gallery because we’d love for you to enjoy a tour of 18:Beckett led by gallery curator, Seamus Kealy.

This will be the last weekend 18:Beckett is available before it closes on Thursday, December 21, so if you haven't already had a chance to view this innovative exhibition of contemporary art inspired by the work of Samuel Beckett, this is the perfect opportunity!

We’ve arranged three pick up and drop off points throughout Mississauga -- all you need to do is meet us, and we’ll do the rest!


BUS SCHEDULE

12:00 pm pick up -- Cawthra Community Centre (front doors)
.............................1399 Cawthra Road
12:20 pm pick up -- Square One - Go station terminal
.............................100 City Centre Dr. (Rathburn Rd. & Duke of York Blvd)
12:40 pm pick up -- South Common Mall (bus terminal)
.............................2126 Burnhamthrope Rd W.
1:00 pm drop off .-- Blackwood Gallery (Kaneff Centre)
.............................University of Toronto at Mississauga
.............................3359 Mississauga Rd N
3:00 pm pick up .-- Blackwood Gallery (Kaneff Centre)
.............................University of Toronto at Mississauga
.............................3359 Mississauga Rd N
3:20 pm drop off. -- South Common Mall (bus terminal)
.............................2126 Burnhamthrope Rd W.
3:40 pm drop off .-- Square One - Go station terminal
.............................100 City Centre Dr. (Rathburn Rd. & Duke of York Blvd)
4:00 pm drop off .-- Cawthra Community Centre (front doors)
.............................1399 Cawthra Road


The tour will take place between 1:00 – 2:30 pm. Admission to the gallery is always free.

For further information, please visit http://www.blackwoodgallery.ca or call 905.828.3789.

Dorothy Cross, Chiasm
(video stills), 1999