Tango: Lance Belanger

Since 1991, artist Lance Belanger has incorporated spheres of various sizes into his sculpture and installation works. Vestiges of Taino culture found in Central America are recreated by Belanger in gold, silver and black using diverse materials. Spheres, large and small, are integral to the installation Neo Lithic Tango (1994-1995) presented at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Serving as a contemporary vehicle of artistic expression that reflects the artist's Maliseet heritage and the perception of cultural identities, they invite a reassessment of the object in a museum context. In this accompanying publication, Belanger outlines the similarities between Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Romani people, while cultural critic Lucy Lippard contextualizes Belanger's political and artmaking practices.