Explore the AGH Collection like never before through a new, ground-breaking art activation project, Beyond the Frame, funded by the incite Foundation for the Arts. Beyond the Frame uses ‘rich content’ in the form of audio, video, and augmented reality to provide interpretive, sensory, and reimagined experiences to activate selected works from the AGH Collection. Over the next few months, the gallery will be continually adding new experiences to Beyond the Frame.
In its inaugural activation, one of the AGH’s signature works, William Kurelek’s This is the Nemesis, has been reinterpreted by legendary music producer Jeremy Greenspan. Greenspan, together with Toronto multi-instrumentalist and free jazz improviser Colin Fisher, have crafted an immersive soundscape that brings haunting immediacy to Kurelek’s apocalyptic imagery.
A powerful and singular artwork, Kurelek’s This is the Nemesis is a visceral exploration of apocalyptic themes, reflecting the artist’s deep religious convictions and his concern for the fate of humanity. It was inspired by the socio-political climate of the time of its creation in 1965, reflecting the uncertainty and fear that plagued many during an intense phase of the Cold War. The painting’s graphic depiction of destruction is both shocking and mesmerizing, drawing the viewer into a chilling vision of the future.
“This project offers a unique opportunity to experience This is the Nemesis in a new and expansive way,” said, Tobi Bruce, Head of Exhibitions and Collections & Senior Curator at the AGH. “Jeremy Greenspan’s soundscape adds a new dimension to the work, creating a truly transportive and thought-provoking experience for our visitors.”
Greenspan’s soundscape, titled “This is the Nemesis,” is an evocative five-part composition that draws inspiration from the painting’s themes of destruction, desolation, and the potential for renewal. Each track represents a different stage of a nuclear holocaust, from the initial launch codes to the aftermath and the potential for a new geological epoch.
Visitors to the space will have the opportunity to listen to Greenspan’s soundscape while simultaneously examining the painting, providing a new layer of audio interpretation to the visual art experience.