Magdolene Dykstra
In the shadow of empire
August 5–August 27, 2023

This exhibition investigates a key component of the architectural language of empire. Columns convey the hierarchical nature of the socio-political structure they represent. Rather than conveying a sense of stability and power, Dykstra’s interpretations are tenuous. The series of drawings feature columns that balance unsettlingly close to the horizon’s edge. Their long shadows are a nod to the question posed by Grace Lee Boggs & Jimmy Boggs: “What time is it on the clock of the world?” In the sculptural interpretations, Dykstra uses an aesthetic of microbiology to visualize the multiplicity of the human species. Composed of unfired clay & mixed media, these structures are impermanent, ready to be deconstructed and reconfigured. Do these accretive forms support the fragile sub-structure or threaten it with its mass? In contrast to viewing impending collapse as a negative end, Dykstra views collapse as a necessary step toward accessing the potential for transformation. This exhibition asks: how can we cannibalize the remnants of our falling empires to create more sustainable systems that shift away from hierarchical relations?

About the artist:

Magdolene Dykstra is an artist and educator. Working in sculpture, installation, and mark-making, Dykstra’s practice focuses on exploring the tension between individuality and multiplicity, impermanence and the embedded potential for transformation, visibility and anonymity. Her methodology centers around repetitive actions that lead to an accumulation of small components within intricate, shifting ecosystems using materials that embody a relationship with the Earth, its forms, and processes. After studying biology and visual arts in undergraduate degrees, she received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Magdolene has been awarded several grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Notable exhibitions include site-specific installations at the Gardiner Museum (Toronto, ON) and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery (Waterloo, ON), as well as solo exhibitions at the Jane Hartsook Gallery (New York, NY) and A-B Projects (Los Angeles, CA).