Morgan Sears-Williams
Impermanent Embrace
Curated by: Lesia Miga
Project Space
sway / pull, 5:15, double 8mm film, Toronto Island, 2022
Arsenal Contemporary Art Toronto is delighted to present new work by Tkaronto / Toronto based artist Morgan Sears-Williams. Impermanent Embrace is a meditation on oral histories, map making and belonging. The artist invites us to look at the erosion of the fragile sand dunes on Hanlan’s Point Beach, located on the Toronto Islands.
As the site of Toronto’s first gay pride celebrations in 1971, the clothing optional beach has remained a queer haven in the city for generations. Despite the significance for conservation of the fragile dunes, the Toronto Islands have faced poor city planning and management, which has led to a significant amount of erosion on the beach
Most recently, the beach has attracted more public attention as a place to visit, which has led to attacks on the communities that have found this to be a safe space. Additionally, with the rising costs of living in the city and with rents becoming increasingly unaffordable for many, safe spaces for the queer community have been disappearing. With the increasing erosion, Morgan Sears-Williams asks us how we can blend moments and create non-linear ways to view time, making imagined time in a queer space.