Abbas Akhavan – variations on a garden, SEPTEMBER 12–OCTOBER 31, 2015
Abbas Akhavan variations on a garden September 12–October 31, 2015
Mercer Union, Toronto, Canada
Abbas Akhavan’s practice ranges from site-specific ephemeral installations to drawing, video, sculpture and performance. The direction of his research has been deeply influenced by the specificity of the sites where he works: the architectures that house them, the economies that surround them, and the people that frequent them. The domestic sphere, as a forked space between hospitality and hostility, has been an ongoing area of research in his practice. Recent works have shifted focus, wandering onto spaces and species just outside the home—the garden, the backyard, and other domesticated landscapes. Variations on a garden gathers the sculptural installation Study for a Monument (2013-present) and video installation Ghost (2013). This is Akhavan’s first solo exhibition in Toronto.
