ᓯᑯ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ | Dark Ice

After its success at the Ottawa Art Gallery (April 23, 2022 – March 5, 2023), the exhibition Dark Ice, showcasing the works of artists Leslie Reid and Robert Kautuk, is currently on a national tour to the following venues: 

Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum (Iqaluit): April 8 – September 15, 2023 

Winnipeg Art Gallery: November 17, 2023 – June 2, 2024

Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (Sarnia): October 4, 2024 – March 15, 2025

Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA): April 26 – September 7, 2025

Climate change is having a profound impact on global ecosystems, and is most dramatically evident in northern landscapes and communities. In the face of these challenges, Inuit knowledge and community-building are increasingly at risk, making it essential to adopt a variety of approaches, in combination with Inuit and settler collaboration.

Dark Ice demonstrates the intersections between the unique artistic, studio, and land-based practices of Leslie Reid of Ottawa, ON, and Robert Kautuk of Kangiqtugaapik (Clyde River), NU. Alongside critical curatorial work, the exhibition features photographs, paintings and videos of Arctic land and ice, and of communities and their experiences.

Reid is an established painter and photographer who has travelled extensively and conducted in-depth research in the Arctic through the Canadian Forces Artists Program and the Canada C3 expedition. In retracing her father’s Royal Canadian Air Force mapping flights, undertaken in the early years of the Cold War, she became increasingly aware of the impact of colonialism on the North.

Kautuk mobilizes drone technology to capture aerial photographs and videos of his community. He works at the Ittaq Heritage and Research Centre, and is a driving force behind the Clyde River Knowledge Atlas, a digital platform that documents and records traditional knowledge, while also encouraging community and Inuit-led research.

Together, these two artists create meaningful research and visualizations that foster diversified perspectives around climate change. Kautuk and Reid’s collaboration combines their experiences to develop a dialogue that maps the Arctic and offers a promising path forward in the face of global warming.

Sponsors/Partners: 

The McLean Foundation

Exclusive Travel Partner: Canadian North

This exhibition was also realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as the RBC Foundation’s support of the OAG’s Connect: Artist Mentorship Program.

Leslie Reid, Through Time, Through Space 5, detail, 2020. Photographs, light boxes. Diptych: 68.6 x 68.6 cm; 68.6 x 96.5 cm. Courtesy of the Artist. Archival aerial vertical b/w photograph: National Air Photo Library; taken for early mapping of the North, above Frobisher Bay, 1949.Colour photograph: Leslie Reid, taken from the deck of the Canada C3 Expedition icebreaker Polar Prince, Franklin Strait, 2017.

Robert Kautuk, Sikut (different layers of ice), detail,  2018, Photograph (drone image), light box, 62.76 x 111.76 cm. Courtesy of the Artist

ᓯᑯ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ
ᓕᐊᔅᓕ ᕇᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕌᕗᑦ ᑲᐅᑐᖅ

ᐄᑉᐳ 23, 2022 ᑎᑭᓪᓗᒍ ᒫᑦᓯ 5, 2023

ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᕙᑎᒥᐅᑕᖁᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓂᖅᐹᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᓇᓗᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᓄᓇᖁᑎᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂ.  ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓵᓐᖓᒃᓯᖓᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᐃᒐᓱᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒦᑎᑕᐅᕙᒃᐳᖅ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ, ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑭᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖃᑕᐅᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ.

ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᓯᑯ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᐅᓂᖓ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕗᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᓴᓇᕕᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᒥ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓂᓐᖔᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕗᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓕᐊᔅᓕ ᕇᑦ ᐋᑐᐋ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᔪᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕌᐳᑦ ᑲᐅᑕᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᖕᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒥ.  ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᑎᒌᒃᓯᒪᓂᕆᔭᖓᑦ, ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒥᐊᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᒐᒃᓴᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᓄᓇᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᑯᖓᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ.

ᕇᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᐊᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑲᑕᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓇᒧᕈᓘᔮᓗᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᔭᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥ ᐱᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓇᑕᖅᑐᒃᓴᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᑎᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕆᔭᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓇᑕ C3 ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑲᑕᒃᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᒪᓕᒃᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᑖᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑕᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓇᑕᖅᑐᒃᓴᖁᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᓐᖑᐊᓕᐅᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓇᑕᕕᒡᔪᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᕆᔭᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥ.

ᑲᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᑉᐳᔾᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓕᐅᑲᑕᒃᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂᒃ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᑦᑕᖅ ᐱᑐᖃᒃᑯᕕᖓᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᕕᖕᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᒪᑐᒧᖓ ᐊᔭᐅᖅᑐᐃᔨᐅᓪᓚᕆᔪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᖕᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᐊᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᕆᑕᐅᔭᒃᑰᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᐱᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᖏᑦ, ᐊᑕᐅᑦᓯᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᑎᓕᐅᕆᓯᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥ.

ᑲᑐᔾᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓴᓇᓐᖑᐊᖅᑏᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᑐᑭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓚᐅᖅᑑᒃ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᖏᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᖏᑦᑑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕆᔭᖓ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᕐᒪᖔᑦ.  ᑲᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕇᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖓᑦ ᑲᑎᑎᑦᓯᕗᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᐃᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓐᖑᐊᒧᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᕐᒪᖔᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᒧᐊᒍᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕗᑦ ᐅᖅᑰᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᔪᑦ/ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᑦ:

McLean Foundation ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑖᕐᕕᐅᕙᒃᑐᖅ

ᑖᒃᑯᑐᐊᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑲᑕᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᐱᕆᔭᑦ: ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖅᐸᐅᔭᖁᑎᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐋᑐᐋ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᔪᒥ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖅᑎᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖅᑎᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ RBC ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑖᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᖓ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓪᓗᑎᒃ OAG-ᑯᑦ ᐱᑐᒡᕕᖁᑎᖓᓐᓂᒃ: ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒡᓗ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕕᐅᔪᖅ.

ᓕᐊᔅᓕ ᕇᑦ, Through Time, Through Space 5 [ᖃᖓᐅᓂᖓ ᐊᓂᖑᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᓚᐃᓐᓇᒃᑯᑦ 5], 2020. ᖃᐅᒻᒥᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑭᑉᐹᕆᒃᑐᒧᑦ. 68.58 x 68.58 cm; 68.58 x 96.52 cm. ᑐᓂᓯᔪᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓴᓇᔪᕕᓂᖅ. ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂᕐᓂᓴᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᑐᖃᑦ ᑲᓚᖃᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᖅ; ᐱᔭᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐊᕕᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᑦᓯᕕᖕᒥᑦ; ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐊᕕᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᓐᖑᐊᓕᐅᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥᒃ ᖁᓚᐅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, 1949. ᑲᓚᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᖅ: ᓕᐊᔅᓕ ᕇᑦ, ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐊᕕᓂᖓ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᑦ ᑲᓇᑕ C3 ᓯᑯᓯᐅᖅᑎ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᖅ Polar Prince, ᑕᐅᕘᓈᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ Franklin ᐃᑭᕋᓴᖓᒍᑦ, 2017-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

ᕌᐳᑦ ᑲᐅᑕᖅ, Sikut (different layers of ice) [ᓯᑯᑦ (ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᖃᓕᕇᑦ)], 2018. ᖃᖓᑦᑕᖅᑎᒋᐊᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᖃᐅᒻᒥᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑭᑉᐹᕆᒃᑐᒧᑦ. 62.76 x 111.76 cm. ᑐᓂᓯᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᔪᕕᓂᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ