The Power Plant launches the fall season with an opening party for one of its most dynamic exhibitions.  ‘Candice Breitz: Same Same’ is the largest North American survey of Candice Breitz’s work to date, and it will officially open to the public with an exhibition opening party on Friday, 18 September, 2009, from 8 to 11 PM.

The opening party will begin at 8 PM where guests will be among the first to experience Breitz’s new work, Factum.  Commissioned by The Power Plant for this exhibition, with the support of Toronto benefactors Partners in Art, this spectacular new work features several sets of twins from Toronto.  Each was separated from their sibling and asked the same questions.  Breitz recorded the responses and created a series of dynamically edited video portraits.  Factum explores the myriad ways that twins differentiate themselves in a world that values nothing more than the individual.

This project was made possible by Partners in Art (PIA), a non-profit group of Toronto art enthusiasts with an interest in supporting the visual arts in Canada in two ways: first, by partnering with established arts organizations on collaborative fundraising projects; and second, by furthering members’ own understanding and knowledge of the visual arts through an active education program. The group cultivates alliances among artists, dealers, curators, educators, businesses, and the public to develop vital and exciting contemporary art projects that raise the awareness of Canadian art and artists nationally and internationally. PIA was The Power Plant’s Commissioning Partner for the gallery’s 2008 and 2009 commissions.  “Partners in Art (PIA) is very excited to have contributed to the production of two new contemporary art commissions, including the eight works in Factum,” says Eleanor Shen, PIA co-chair. “It’s especially exciting to know that Candice Breitz, a renowned Berlin-based artist, chose to create her commissioned work here in Toronto with totally Canadian content; potentially leading to the positive cross-pollination of ideas and energy with the Toronto art community.”

Gregory Burke, Director of The Power Plant and curator of the ‘Candice Breitz: Same Same’ exhibition says: “Breitz is an internationally-acclaimed artist and has a close relationship with Toronto and The Power Plant.   Having worked here to produce Factum and having exhibited here in the past, Breitz now has many Canadian friends and supporters.  It is very fortunate that we can present the largest survey of her work here in this city, the place where her most recent creation came into being.”

Candice Breitz investigates contemporary media culture using the language of the entertainment industry, including pop music, television, and Hollywood films.  Straddling the sometimes ambiguous terrain between art, entertainment and consumerism, she edits, re-contextualizes or otherwise re-interprets familiar elements of our mediated mass culture landscapes to produce aesthetically dazzling and critically engaging multi-channel video installations that explore the performance of identity and self-fashioning.

After the exhibition opening party, the weekend will feature Candice Breitz in conversation with Lynn Crosbie.  A teacher at the Ontario College of Art and Design and a columnist for The Globe and Mail, Crosbie is a cultural critic and poet who will speak one-on-one with Breitz about issues in contemporary media culture involving popular music, film and television.

A diverse range of related programming is scheduled to continue throughout the season until the close of the show on Sunday, 15 November.  One of the highlights is the gallery’s International Lecture Series, which continues this fall with internationally renowned UK artist Phil Collins, who will speak about his politically engaged media practice and screen his acclaimed film zasto ne govorim srpski (na srpskom) (2008).  And for the fourth year running, Power Talks presents influential museum directors, curators and critics discussing their projects and ideas and reflecting on the art world in a time of flux.  Power Talks is organized by The Power Plant for the Toronto International Art Fair.  With everything from special lectures by some of the world’s most renowned artists and scholars, to a workshop for children and Sunday Scene tours, fall programming at The Power Plant is sure to appeal to all.  An extended listing of programs is attached, and the gallery is open later on Wednesday evenings so visitors can enjoy the gallery FREE from 5 – 8 PM.

The exhibition ‘Candice Breitz: Same Same’ has been generously supported by Factum Commissioning Partner Partners in Art, with additional support from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Support Donors Elisa Nuyten & David Dime and Ken Zuckerman, Catalogue Donors Sarah Dinnick & Colin Webster, and presented in association with Future Projections, Toronto International Film Festival.  The Power Plant is extremely thankful for their integral support.