EXPOSURE & FAR NORTH PHOTO FESTIVAL PRESENT THE FENCE

Olympic Plaza (outdoors)
February 4 – February 27

The Exposure Photography Festival presents The Fence exhibition at Calgary’s Olympic Plaza, in partnership with Far North Photo Festival (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories), Chinook Blast! Festival (Calgary) and Photoville (Brooklyn, New York, USA). 

Co-curated by Amanda Annand, Far North Photo Festival, and Beth Kane, Exposure Photography Festival, the exhibition presents the work of Northern-based and Indigenous artists from across Canada’s Northern Territories. The featured artists explore documentary photography in the Circumpolar North while addressing Indigenous issues and Northern representation. The exhibition highlights the realities of life in Northern communities, from global warming’s profound impact on the Arctic and its effect on the land, wildlife, and natural resources, to the revitalization of Indigenous culture, languages, traditions and ways of life. 

By activating accessible spaces via this public presentation, the exhibition promotes wider understandings and increased access to the art of photography and visual storytelling, amplifying impactful narratives and connecting artists to a wide audience. 

Access: Location is wheelchair accessible. This exhibition is child friendly.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Nunavut’s Young Hunters, Lisa Milosavljevic
Nunavut is currently experiencing a population growth where Inuit now make up the youngest population in Canada, with 51 per cent being under the age of 25. Inuit typically make up at least 90 per cent of the population in communities in Nunavut, with the exception of the capital city of Iqaluit. It is common to hear lnuit voice their frustration of loss of traditional culture and Inuktuk language, especially in Iqaluit where more people are taking on a more southern way of life. This young generation is growing alongside a quickly-changing arctic while practical land skills that are not being taught in the colonial education system.

Caribou People Story, Peter Mather
For generations beyond count, the Gwichin people of Alaska and Northern Canada have relied on the Porcupine Caribou and their annual migration through their traditional territory for their survival. The Gwich’in are facing rapid environmental and social change to their traditional lifestyles. As they adjust to the demands of the modern world, the key to their success is balancing western education with their connection to the land through the caribou that provide them with their physical and cultural sustenance. The threat to open the caribou’s calving grounds to oil and gas development, in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), is a threat to the caribou represents a threat to the survival of the Gwichin and even a violation of their human rights.

After Elsa, Evan Rensch
As the site of one of the world’s greatest silver deposits, the community of Keno City, Yukon became a hub of mining activity shortly after the mineral’s discovery in 1918. This silver production powered the Yukon’s economy for decades, until declining metal prices shuttered production in 1989. In the wake of mass layoffs, hundreds of individuals immediately left the region in search of new work, but a small number remained in the area to settle permanently. After Elsa shows these residents at an intersection at a crossroads, as they attempt to reinvent themselves without letting go of their silver history.

Dechenla, Robby Dick
I remember in 2016 of September, I was out hunting and ran into of Kudzih (caribou) I was blessed to harvest this powerful animal and bring some meat back to our families in Tu Łidlini (where waters flow) often confused as Ross River YT. I remember how proud ethise (grandpa) was when I brought back some fresh meat. Spent two weeks in the Mackenzie Mountains and didn't hunt until first week of Sept when the kudzih were ready and fat.

Many Ross River Dena, shutao’ine (sahtu Dene) and metis call it home. Dechenla is a large area spanning on both sides of the Yukon, and NWT border encompassing the Mackenzie Mountains. High alpine, tundra plateau near the headwaters of Keele and other tributaries. Dechenla is important to the Kaska Dena and Shutao’ine, they could rely on the caribou, harvest sheep and moose during certain times of the year.

PARTNERS

ABOUT FAR NORTH PHOTO FESTIVAL
The Far North Photo Festival is a space to elevate the work of visual storytellers in the Circumpolar North. We bring together the Arctic photo community for a weekend of exhibits, presentations, workshops, portfolio reviews, and mentorship on an annual basis in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. As a festival, we seek to address Indigenous issues and Northern representation in media and promote the value of Northern stories told by Northern artists. We want the narratives told in the photos we exhibit to be seen by people from all walks of life and to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the North. 

ABOUT CHINOOK BLAST FESTIVAL
Chinook Blast is Calgary’s six-week winter festival celebration that brings together partners from the arts, nonprofit, neighbourhood, tourism, and sports communities to create an inclusive event to showcase the best of our city. Chinook Blast will run from January 21 - February 27, 2022, and will include five Pillar Festival Partners - High Performance Rodeo, BIG Winter Classic, GLOW, Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Block Heater, and Ethnik Festival.

This exhibition is Produced by Exposure Photography Festival, Far North Photo Festival, Chinook Blast Festival and Photoville. Funded by Chinook Blast Festival and Tourism Calgary. Sponsored by Modu-Loc Fencing. 

Thank you to our partners for their support of this exhibition. Without their generosity, we would not be able to deliver our programs and activities to our dedicated community.

Olympic Plaza, 228 8 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2P 2M5