Join us on Wednesday, September 14 from 6pm to 8pm, to celebrate the opening of our fall exhibitions, including:

The Edge of the Earth: Climate Change in Photography and Video

Elisa Gonzalez & Daniel Froidevaux: The Quiet Zone

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About the exhibitions:

The Edge of the Earth: Climate Change in Photography and Video

Increasingly and forebodingly, artists are turning their attention to the subject of climate change, in poignant and often confrontational ways. The exhibition features recent and historic work by a range of pioneering and visionary artists from around the world. Photojournalism from the RICs famed Black Star Collection is also included, contextualising artistic reflections alongside half a century of historical reportage on the environment.

The Edge of the Earth questions traditional views and challenges our environmental consciousness, proceeding from the conviction that humans have entered the Era of the Anthropocene, dominating the planet in its uppermost layers and outermost edges. Guest curated by Montral-based art historian Dr. Bndicte Ramade, this in-depth exhibition attempts to foster a reconsideration of climate change, envisioning the present crises and future consequences of humanitys harsh imprint on our planet.

To accompany the exhibition, the RIC is pleased to partner with Black Dog Publishing to present a large-format book with critical texts by Bndicte Ramade and T. J. Demos. Exhibition Sponsors: Cineplex Media and Invesoco. Media Sponsors: Toronto Life and Toronto Star.

Elisa Gonzalez & Daniel Froidevaux: The Quiet Zone

Established in 1958 by the Federal Communications Commission, the National Radio Quiet Zone is a federally mandated radio quiet area that covers a remote region of West Virginia. Home to the worlds largest steerable radio telescope, the area is attracting a community who believe they suffer from an extreme electrical sensitivity. This unique environment is both a centre for scientific discovery and a growing refuge for those looking to escape the proliferation of communications technology.

The Quiet Zone calls attention to the visible and audible evidence of both the electro-sensitive and scientific communities attempts to control, mitigate and record the radio environment. Sound recordings made using induction microphones capable of registering electromagnetic frequencies were used to create a sonic landscape that represents the invisible, inaudible environment of the area. Images of the telescope and control room are presented in an order that simulates the path of radio waves as they enter the telescopes parabolic dish and are reflected, received and transmitted from analogue signal to digital code.

This installation offers a space to contemplate the tenuous connection between an extremely sensitive technology, the Greenbank telescope, and a group of people whose sensitivity reflects our own concerns and ambivalence about the permeation of communications technology.