"Toronto artist Dave Dyment’s new project begins with his exploration of The Power Plant’s archives. Expanding on his practice of research-based conceptualism, his investigation results in a work presented within Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of The Power Plant during our Summer 2012 season. Dyment is interested in the forces that shape and reshape culture, and his work often employs re-framed found texts and vernacular photography.
The centrepiece of his response is a series of a thousand questions culled from interviews, reviews, guest book scrawlings, inter-office communiqués, memos and emails found in the dusty banker boxes of The Power Plant archives. They range from the philosophical (So where is reality to be found?) to the practical (Will there be a dinner?).
The work also include a series of photographs of pre-installed artworks; snapshots which were intended to be viewed only for shipping, customs and insurance purposes situated in our North Gallery."
- gallery press release
A series of polaroids taken by the gallery crew over the years, for condition reports, re-crating instruction, insurance claims, etc. Many of them have been annotated with marker, indicating problems or areas of note. The images are sequenced like an artist's book, expanded.
Boxed work: 100 page eBook on disk, 9-panel accordion fold. Edition of 25
A collection of polaroids from the Power Plant archives taken by the crew for insurance purposes. The images document framed works by Candida Höfer (whose practice often explores ‘the sociology of the museum’ by documenting artworks in situ) which were badly damaged in shipping.
As the third work in the exhibition, Hofercrate was presented in the store vitrines of the gallery for the duration of the show.
An interview about the project can be read at ArtToronto, here.