MUNINN: LISTENING TO MEMORY
ROBYN LOVE
JANUARY 25 - APRIL 9
“Every action, word, feeling, thought leaves an impression in our minds. What is remembered and what is forgotten is our responsibility.”
Muninn, invites us to listen, to be open, and to sit in quiet contemplation. At a time of global upheaval, when we are made newly aware of others suffering with daily updates, what individual actions can we take to benefit the greater good?
Blanche Duffy, Beverly Ramones, Jean Blyth, Moon…names spoken and remembered, memory filled out. On August 22, Gillams-based Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Robyn Love and four other Wise Gossips lead a participatory performance on the Colette Urban Memorial Trail in McIvers. An extension of Love’s research project Branks, which took its title from an iron muzzle used to restrict and punish women’s speech in the 16th-century, the performance gathered through community outreach memories of powerful and personally influential women. This exhibition, the culmination of Love’s residency at the Grenfell Art Gallery, serves as an extension and manifestation of this action. Drawn from Norse mythopoeic, Muninn was a raven that flew around the world gathering memories and dreams to return to the god Odin.
A leading contemporary artist in Newfoundland for more than a decade, Love's practice focuses on rituals of kinship and care, particularly among communities of women, using humor and performance as paths toward actualization and empowerment. In 2005, Love founded The House Museum, a Gillams-based interactive installation that explored cultural tourism and museology, as instruments for building community and equity. In 2017 the space transitioned into BARDO-29, an experimental contemporary art space hosting residencies and annual public programs.
This exhibition is made possible by the support of Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts.