ROM: Contemporary Culture Presents Sebastião Salgado: Genesis

Exploring Issues of Environment and Climate Change In Conversation and Lectures

“Mr. Salgado is more than a photojournalist, much the way Bono is something more than a pop star.”

– The New Yorker

Toronto, Ontario – ROM Contemporary Culture presents a unique opportunity to spend the evening with internationally renowned photographer, Sebastião Salgado, as he discusses his newest exhibition, GENESIS, presented in its North American debut by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in partnership with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, with the support of Vale. In this rare public speaking engagement on Thursday, May 2, 2013, Salgado will discuss the eight year process of the creation of GENESIS in the context of his larger body of work. Immediately following this lecture is a preview of Salgado’s epic exhibition, GENESIS. The installation features 245 extraordinary images of 32 breathtaking locations around the world from one of the most important photojournalists living today.

GENESIS launches ROM Contemporary Culture’s 2013/14 theme of Climate Change (#ROMClimate). Throughout the year, ROM Contemporary Culture will partner with ROM Biodiversity to encourage conversation and provide insight on this contemporary issue. This year, ROM Contemporary Culture looks at the relationship between nature and culture through the lens of climate change and poses the questions: How does the landscape change a culture? How does culture change a landscape? Through innovative exhibitions and contemporary projects, ROM Contemporary Culture provides insight and inspiration to help our community make sense of the modern world and connect with one another.

“ROM Biodiversity and ROM Contemporary Culture are natural partners, as was evidenced in 2012 with the co-produced exhibit Elegy by Deborah Samuel,” says Dave Ireland, Managing Director, ROM Biodiversity. “These two ROM Centres of Discovery bridge the gap between art and science and validate our new model of engagement by showcasing a diverse range of exhibits, galleries and especially programming at the ROM.”

Additional ancillary programming during the run of GENESIS includes Curated Conversations on May 28 and Game Changer Discussion with Deepali Dewan, ROM Senior Curator, South Asian Art, and Doug Currie, Senior ROM Curator, Entomology on June 25. The exhibition will also feature a TweetGarden Project by digital media artist Faisal Anwar. The TweetGarden is a screen-based tree that grows leaves with each tweet. Visitors can interact by tweeting using the hashtag #ROMClimate and reading other s’ responses.

The North American premiere of GENESIS opens to the public on Saturday, May 4, 2013 . Curated by Lelia Wanick Salgado and organized by Amazonas images, GENESIS is presented in partnership with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and is on view at the ROM until September 2, 2013. Through this compelling collection of photographs, GENESIS aspires to share the natural beauty of our world and begs observers to consider what is left of our planet, what is in peril, and what is left to save. The exhibition will be presented in five broadly-defined ecosystems titled: Planet South, Sanctuaries, Africa, Northern Spaces and Amazonia and Pantanal.



GENESIS PROGRAMS

Earth Month Youth Summit

Co-presented by ROM Biodiversity and Earth Day Canada

April 27

Earth Day Canada and the ROM join forces to present the Earth Month Youth Summit, connecting 250 environmental youth leaders from across the province in a day of interactive workshops at the ROM. Hosted by Environmental Hero Simon Jackson and featuring keynote presentations by Sebastião Salgado and former Canadian astronaut, Dr. Roberta Bondar.

Sebastião Salgado on GENESIS

May 2, 2013

In this special public lecture in the ROM’s Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, Sebastião Salgado will discuss his photographic essay eight years in the making, followed by a preview of the GENESIS exhibition. Tickets prices are: General: $25: ROM Members: $20, and Students: $15.

Curated Conversations – A Definition of Awe

May 28, 2013

Join ROM Friends of Contemporary Culture and special guests for an after-hours tour and curated conversation. Following a private tour of GENESIS, mingle and exchange perspectives with other guests. Curated Conversations are built on the idea that meaningful dialogue is not only satisfying, but also has the potential to be life-changing.

Game Changer Discussion with Deepali Dewan and Doug Currie

June 25, 2013

What do black flies and photographs have to do with climate change and the landscape? As ROM Contemporary Culture investigates climate change and environmental issues, ROM curators Dr. Deepali Dewan and Dr. Doug Currie present their ideas and invite the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Engaging Visitors to GENESIS

Weekends, July through August, 2013

ROM Biodiversity is host to a revolutionary new graduate program with partner Fleming College. In the Environmental Visual Communication (EVC) Program, students combine art (photography, videography, social media) with science (environmental studies) to produce truly unique and engaging deliverables. EVC students will compete in spring 2013 for a one thousand dollar honourarium to implement a public programming element into the activation space of the GENESIS exhibit.

For more information and for ticket information, visit http://rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/centres-discovery/contemporary-culture

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CONTACT is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Celebrate Ontario, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, and the Ontario Arts Council.