Eddy Firmin’s exhibition Lawond features an impressive array of sculpture, installation, video, and photography that links themes of the exploited body with histories of colonization and racism. Firmin invites viewers to drink coffee, read, and engage in conversation at a historic salon installation; share and listen to visitor testimonials of racism at a confessional booth; and discover artworks that subvert stereotypes and anti-Black visual culture. Originally from Guadeloupe, the artist presents an experimental form of storytelling that traces the different narratives and colonial legacies which inform his lived experience.

Inspired by the time she spent watching deep sea footage during lockdown, Colleen Wolstenholme’s exhibition, Into the Deep Blue Sea, invites viewers to journey through the depths of one of the most uncharted territories on the planet. Oil paintings and ink drawings showcase marine creatures recently discovered through ROV technologies: ctenophores, siphonophores, corals, anemones, and squids. An immersive tent-like installation harbors wall to ceiling projections of the deep sea, while large, illuminated sculptures evoke underwater kelp forests. Situated against a post-pandemic backdrop, Into the Deep Blue Sea allows viewers to confront feelings of alienation, anxiety, and uncertainty, while at the same time offering a space to find solace within the unknown.

The artist Sonny Assu makes a grand return to Montreal with a solo exhibition after a three-year absence. This exhibition features his latest series of paintings, characterized by a more fluid and spontaneous approach, in contrast to the precise contours and sharp aesthetic of his earlier works. Known for his blends of Indigenous iconography and popular culture, Assu uses a graffiti-inspired aesthetic to foster dialogue and encourage reflection on Indigenous resurgence and decolonization, themes that are prevalent throughout his artistic practice.