Queen & Gladstone: The Annual

The second floor of the Gladstone hotel is currently home to The Annual, a contemporary art exhibit featuring works by a number of artists united by a common theme. This year's topic: Shifting Ground. 
As is almost always the case with contemporary art, the pieces in this multi-media exhibit explore their theme literally, metaphorically, and, occasionally, quite elusively.  

My favourite piece was an interactive installation by Marc De Pape titled Neighborhood Watch. I put on the headphones and sat on the sun-soaked balcony overlooking Queen St. W. The chair's legs are cut to different lengths so that, as you sit, you can tilt yourself in all directions. Doing so triggers the audio instillation in different ways so that the live sounds of the street are mixed in varying degrees with amplified street sounds coming through the headphones. Essentially, you create your own soundtrack to  the live action of daily life at Queen & Gladstone.

Marc De Pape, Neighborhood Watch, 2013
audio and physical computing

Another Toronto-based piece is Mel Coleman's fittingly titled Condoscape. The collage of condo buildings reflects what's going on right outside the gallery doors as Toronto continues to grow at exponential rates.

Mel Coleman, Condoscape, 2012
collage on canvas

A more metaphorical look at shifting grounds is the (very) short film Lug Me Islandia by Maria Flawia Litwin. The interactions between the artist and her suitcase are meant to express her relationship to her personal "immigrant journey". Those finer intentions may not come across to every viewer, but the suitcase is such a universal symbol of change and of covering new ground that the theme manages to come together.

Maria Flawia Litwin, Lug Me Islandia
film

Some of the other pieces which feature landscape or architectural collage and photography have a less clear connection to the theme. Closer inspection of the description next to one photograph revealed that the building pictured was in Detroit, a city currently in a state of serious flux; but I've never been a fan of art that relies on a description to connect with the viewer or the spirit of the exhibit.

The hotel-turned gallery makes for a beautiful exhibition space. The architecture adds a vintage touch and makes the rooms feel much warmer than a sparse modern art gallery.

Even the bathroom has character! Terrible lighting, but a beautiful claw-foot tub.

If you're looking to see a variety of art without being overwhelmed by the volume of work, The Annual is the place for you! It's also very reasonably priced at just $5 a ticket and students get in for free.

Dates: October 10-13 2013
Location: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W at Gladstone.

For more information on hours and special events visit their website.