The Power Plant presents The Bastard Word: a major solo exhibition for UK-based artist Fiona Banner, and Yael Bartana: Ritual, both opening March 3, 2007 March 2, 2007

Fiona Banner is a leading mid-career artist and sculptor from London and a former nominee for the Turner Prize. Banner’s project and exhibition at The Power Plant, The Bastard Word, focuses on recent work taking the form of large and small sculptures, installations, films and drawings. Much of this work is being made for The Power Plant and represents some of the most adventurous work of her career.

Fiona Banner: The Bastard Word and Yael Bartana: Ritual will open with an Opening Reception held at The Power Plant, Harbourfront Centre, 231 Queens Quay West, on Friday, 2 March, from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission to the reception is free and open to the public.

The Power Plant, Harbourfront Centre, is located at 231 Queens Quay West. Gallery Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 12-6 p.m., Wednesday 12-8 p.m. Closed Monday. Open holiday Mondays. Admission is Free to Members, $4 adults, $2 students/seniors.
For information on public programmes, the public can call 416-973-4949 or visit www.thepowerplant.org.

The Bastard Word features Parade, a collection of models of all the world’s fighter planes, a new work that consists of a frieze of the alphabet hand modeled in neon by Banner, a set of alphabet drawings formed out of the parts of war planes. Banner will exhibit two films and also produce a number of site specific wall drawings for the exhibition, further works in her Nude series.

A centerpiece of the show will be a work executed on the main wing of a Tornado fighter jet, Banner’s largest sculpture to date, which stands on its end at a monumental 18 feet high.

Another major feature of the exhibition is a LIVE performance by Banner, where the artist will produce a new work in the Nude series live before an audience. The resulting work will be both documented as a performance and shown as a drawing in the exhibition.

The film and video work of Israeli artist Yael Bartana addresses her relationship to her homeland and the complex interaction between the individual and society. Bartana is interested in how individuals behave within a collective and how they can exist within a belief system without compromising their own. Adopting the role of observer or ethnographer, the artist investigates the militarization and socio-political dynamics of her home country in her quest to document Israel’s national and cultural identity especially as reflected in its rituals and representations. According to the artist, “Personal, intimate reactions have the potential to provoke honest responses and perhaps replace the predictable, controlled reactions encouraged by the state.” While the themes in her work often relates to the Israeli context, they also have universal importance.

Official Website: http://www.thepowerplant.org