A meteorite floats above a sand floor, a psychedelic volcano crystallizes deep time. The Desert Turned to Glass is a meditation oscillating between the cosmic and the chthonic. Travelling through vast distances in space and time from outer space to Paleolithic caves, Stankievech entwines science fiction speculation and contemporary scientific theories on the origin of life, consciousness, and art. At a moment obsessed with planetary endings, Stankievech returns to the formation of the earth’s atmosphere in geologic time—in a word, to creation itself.
Exhibited across both Gairloch Gardens and Centennial Square, a collection of videos, photographs and sculptures invites the visitor into a material and mystical world under tectonic transformation. During the exhibition, an accompanying concert entitled The Glass Key will be performed by Stankievech at Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto.
Charles Stankievech is an artist redefining "fieldwork" at the convergence of geopolitics, deep ecologies, and sonic resonances. From the Arctic’s northernmost settlement to the depths of the Pacific Ocean, Stankievech's practice uncovers the paradoxes of our existence on the planet by engaging with the imperceptible. His award-winning work has been presented at institutions such as the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal; Kunste Werke, Berlin; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; National Gallery of Canada; TBA21, Vienna; as well as several biennials from Venice to SITE Santa Fe. As a composer he mentored under World Soundscape founder R. Murrary Schafer and then Alvin Lucier, leading to the premiere of his work Radiance for Philip Glass’ MATA foundation. He has lectured at dOCUMENTA (13) and the 8th Berlin Biennale, and his writing has been published by Verso, MIT, Sternberg Press, e-flux, and Princeton Architectural Press. He was the Director of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto from 2015-2021, where he is now Associate Professor in the Faculty of Architecture. For 2023, he was visiting Research Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Tokyo.
Ala Roushan is a curator and Associate Professor at OCAD University. Ala’s research explores artificial environments, contemporary digital culture, and the public realm. Most recently, she produced BREATHLESS at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery–a multifaceted project including an experimental pavilion, group exhibition, publication, and performances on the paradoxes of air and the breath. Previously, she was the co-director/curator of SUGAR, a curatorial platform exploring new trajectories for public art informed by site, where she co-curated projects such as a solo exhibition and lecture marathon with artist collective Slavs & Tatars and co-published the book ShapeShift: Sugar, Oil, Gold. Ala’s past activities include her role as the co-founder/curator of the non-profit initiative Flip Project Space in Naples. She has a master’s degree in Advance Architectural Design from the Städelschule, Frankfurt. Currently, Ala holds a research position at the University of Tokyo, leading a SSHRC funded research project titled Shaping Atmospheres, examining the complex relations of air and architecture as it affects our planetary environment.
Séamus Kealy is Executive Director of Oakville Galleries. From 2014 to 2023 he was Director of the Salzburger Kunstverein in Austria. From 2008 to 2013, he was Director of The Model, Sligo, Ireland, which he led through a major redevelopment. From 2005 to 2008, he was Curator at the Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto, Canada. He has curated over 120 art exhibitions. He has lectured at universities world-wide including as Visiting Lecturer for the Higher Institute for Visual Arts in Ghent, Belgium. He has held artist and curatorial residencies in Canada, Chile, Ireland, Austria, and France. Awards and acknowledgements include the „Top Exhibition in Austria” in 2014 (Punctum), „Number Four (of Top Ten) Exhibition in Austria” in 2016, (The People’s Cinema); both by Profil Magazin, the CuratorialWriting Award in 2007 by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, “Number Five (of Top Ten) Exhibitions of 2007 (Canada),” (Unterspiel), by Canadian Art Magazine, as well as finalist for the Lexmark Pan-European Painting Prize (2004), and finalist for the RBC National Painting Award in Canada (2002). In 2018 he was International Juror for Canada’s Sobey Art Award. He studied Fine Arts (BFA), including photography under Jeff Wall, and later Art History: Curatorial Studies (MA), both at the University of British Columbia. He currently serves as a board member for the Austrian Ludwig Foundation. Séamus Kealy has a background in activism including working with Greenpeace (1991-1998).
This roundtable discussion explores the central themes of The Desert Turned to Glass, offering an in-depth look at Charles Stankievech’s pioneering practice, which reimagines ‘fieldwork’ through the lenses of geopolitics, deep ecologies, and sonic resonances. Joined by his primary collaborator, Ala Roushan, Stankievech will share insights into the creative process behind this remarkable exhibition. Moderated by Séamus Kealy, the conversation promises a dynamic exchange on art, research, and the intersections of landscape, history, and sound.
Tuesday – Saturday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday (by appointment)
Closed Sunday + statutory holidays
Free Admission
