SUMMER AT THE POWER PLANT OPENS WITH
NEW EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS – ALL FREE

TOOLS FOR CONVIVIALITY
30 June – 26 August, 2012
Abbas Akhavan, Raymond Boisjoly, Geoffrey Farmer, Claire Fontaine,
Kyla Mallett, Swintak/Don Miller, Reece Terris, Oscar Tuazon,
Ulla von Brandenburg, Franz West

The Power Plant's Summer 2012 group exhibition, Tools for Conviviality, addresses social and individual agency in contemporary art and life. Bringing together artists and practices that create and engage tools to effect change and reconsider social behaviour, the exhibition includes works that are interactive as well as mechanisms towards self-help, political shifts, ritual devices, potential weapons, and means for critique. The exhibition takes place both inside and outside the gallery proper through a re-conquest of space, the reassessment of information acquisition and a politic of being more present in the world around us. Here, contemporary art is offered as a tool with which to propose alternate tactics.

Tools for Conviviality borrows its title from Ivan Illich's 1973 philosophical text of the same name, using the reference as a framework to consider artists' engagement with, and resistance to, contemporary strategies and dialogues. Citing a need to develop new instruments for the acquisition of knowledge by the individual, Illich's treatise sought to dismantle the institutionalization of specialized knowledge and the dominance of technocratic elites in industrial society. The tools that most interested Illich, and are reflected in the works shown in the exhibition, have links to self-organization, wiki models, democratic space, and forms of communal activity. The kind of engagement that the works in Tools for Conviviality propose has a strong grounding in the histories of the last five decades including conceptual art, performance, Actionism, Happenings, relational aesthetics, utopian ideologies, countercultural and grassroots movements. In many of these works, a methodology of looking back in order to move forward is at play.

Support for the exhibition provided by The Power Players Program: BMO Financial Group, CIBC, Manulife Financial, Rogers, Stongate Private Counsel, and TD Securities


DISSENTING HISTORIES: 25 YEARS OF THE POWER PLANT
24 March – 3 September, 2012

Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of The Power Plant is a dynamic project designed to exhibit, activate, reconsider, and put into dialogue the gallery's rich histories. Designed by

Markus Miessen, a German architect and writer who has contributed to a larger thinking about participation in public space and design, the North Gallery has been transformed into a user-friendly space to consider the history of The Power Plant within local and international contexts, as well as within present spatial and theoretical concerns.

Over an extended period, the space has offered visitors the opportunity to see artist projects responding to our archives, talks around The Power Plant's history and special presentations organized around specific thematics such as institutional memory, changing technologies and aesthetics, and Toronto's contemporary art history. This season marks the opening of a new artist project by Dave Dyment.

Toronto artist Dave Dyment has undertaken a project that began with his exploration of The Power Plant's archives. Expanding on his practice of research-based conceptualism, his investigation results in a work that will be presented within Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of The Power Plant during our Summer 2012 season. Working with audio, video, photography, and the production of artists' books, multiples and editions, Dyment's witty practice mines popular culture, vernacular photography and music. His past projects include a century-aged edition of Glenfiddich malt whisky; a duet with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo; and the photograph One Billion Years (Past & Future), which arranges dozens of books according to the time frames referenced in their titles. Dyment has exhibited across Canada and internationally, and his work is represented by MKG127, Toronto.

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The Power Plant has an outstanding lineup of PROGRAMS and EVENTS to kick off the Summer season:

OPENING PARTY
Friday, 29 June / 8–11 PM / FREE
The Power Plant
The Power Plant will celebrate the opening of the Summer exhibitions with a FREE party from 8–11 PM. Join us outside on the lakeside terrace as we continue to celebrate an outstanding anniversary year, meet many of the artists in the current exhibition, enjoy a BBQ and music by DJ Jodie James Elliot.

ARTISTS' TOUR: Tools for Conviviality
Saturday, 30 June / 2 PM / FREE
This gallery tour of the current exhibition will be led by participating artists Abbas Akhavan and Kyla Mallett. This is a unique opportunity for all visitors to meet the artists and hear them talk about their work first-hand.

BOOK SALE
Sunday, 1 July / 2-6 PM / FREE
Looking for fantastic deals on art books and exhibition catalogues? Join us on our lakeside terrace for the third annual Canada Book Sale. The deep discounts are up to 75% off.

BMO POWER KIDS: Geoffrey Farmer's Figure
Sunday, 1 July, 3–5 PM / FREE
For children ages 8–12 and their adult companions
Power Kids participants have the chance to activate a work by artist Geoffrey Farmer by adding to and transforming a large sculptural figure over the course of the current exhibition.
Call +1.416.973.4949 to reserve a spot.

2012 Power Kids Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

LIVE PERFORMANCE: Mariachi Fuego
Sunday, 1 July, 3-4 PM / FREE
We are pleased to welcome Toronto mariachi band Mariachi Fuego for a series of performances this summer. They will perform in relationship to Reece Terris's project for Tools for Conviviality.

MEMBERS-ONLY EXHIBITION VIEWING
Tuesday, 3 July, 6-8 PM
Tour the current exhibition Tools for Conviviality with cheyanne turions and enjoy a talk by artist Dave Dyment, whose work is featured in the Dissenting Histories exhibition space. This tour is available only to Members of the gallery. Not a Member? Sign up today.

For information on these events and more information about public programming for Summer 2012, visit our website.

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Major Supporters: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and Harbourfront Centre
ALL YEAR, ALL FREE: Hal Jackman Foundation
25th Anniversary Support: Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
25th Anniversary Media Partner: NOW Magazine
Power Players: BMO Financial Group, Manulife Financial, Rogers, Stonegate Private Counsel, and TD Securities
Primary Education Sponsor: CIBC
2012 BMO Power Kids Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

GALLERY ADMISSION:
ALL YEAR, ALL FREE thanks to the support of the Hal Jackman Foundation

GALLERY HOURS:
Tuesday to Friday 12–6 PM
Saturday - Sunday 12–8 PM
Open holiday Mondays

Media Contact: Robin Boyko, +1.416.973.4927, rboyko@thepowerplant.org

The Power Plant
231 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON Canada M5J 2G8
+1.416.973.4949
thepowerplant.org

Image: Oscar Tuazon, (Alloy for Steve Baer), 2011. Courtesy the artist and Parkett Editions, Zurich.