In today’s contemporary society where divisions often seem to overshadow community connections and differences are commonly perceived as threats rather than opportunities for compassionate growth, the power of imaginative storytelling emerges as a beacon of hope. The exhibition Speculative Fictions draws upon themes present in the literary genre of the same name, where artworks prompt viewers to consider the transformative potential of wonder, awe, and mystery as we envision our collective futures.

 

Viewers are invited to embark on a journey into the realm of imagination where limitations on what is possible dissolve, and multiple portals open into the speculative edges of our shared consciousness. If we approach each visual composition with curiosity, we are offered glimpses into alternate realities, technological abstractions, and primordial possibilities – prompting us to ask ourselves, “Where have we begun?” and, “Where are we going?”

 

Speculative Fictions features a curated selection of nineteen artworks from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts provincial collection, each encouraging the kind of regenerative curiosity needed in today’s uncertain times. Audiences are invited to imagine each artist’s vision and the possible stories behind mysterious landscapes, abstract forms, and playful compositions – many of which carry aesthetic qualities prevalent in visual representations of popular science fiction and fantasy worlds. Artists include Ernesto Bonato, Janet Cardiff, Wendy Ehlers, Nathan Grimson, Liz Ingram, David Janzen, Rodney Konopaki, Calvin Kruk, Amy Loewan, James McDougall, Leanne Olson, Jacques Rioux, Leonard Simpson, and Jim Westergard.