Jan 27 to May 5, 2024
Lost and found
About the Exhibition
Lost and Found is a public art project conceived by artist duo Holly Ward and Kevin Schmidt. The project unfolded as a series of constructed situations along the Rouge River Trail in Unionville throughout the summer and fall of 2023. Augmented by specially designed t-shirts and musical carts, it is brought to life through everyday activities embodied by local community groups and amateur musicians. In January 2024, the project transitions to the Varley Art Gallery to formalize a visual language that frames individual experiences along the trail as ‘artworks’ through the presentation of objects and ephemera in an interactive installation.
Wandering, practicing, improvising, and experimenting are revealed here not only as preparations but as substantial activities in themselves. Lost and Found locates these activities in public space, designating chance encounters as a potential site for the formation of publics.
About the Artists
Holly Ward’s work explores the role of aesthetics in the formation of social realities, while Kevin Schmidt’s practice delves into the artist’s role in a spectacle-driven society, exploring faith, mythmaking, craft, and popular culture. Their collaborative projects include The Pavilion, a 22-foot geodesic dome located in rural Heffley Creek BC, serving as a catalyst for artistic experimentation, and being performed as an interdisciplinary life-as-art project.
