Between Heaven and Earth and The Ship of Tolerance
Oakville Galleries presents the work of internationally renowned artists Ilya & Emilia Kabakov. Opening in May with two exhibitions in our galleries, we also present two public art sculptures in Gairloch Gardens, including the famous Ship of Tolerance. Since its launch in 2005, this transformative project has fostered dialogue and understanding among children from diverse backgrounds, sparking meaningful conversations about tolerance, respect, and inclusivity in communities worldwide. Marking its 20th anniversary and its first appearance in Canada, The Ship of Tolerance at Oakville Galleries involves over 2,000 children to create the ship’s sails.
The construction of the Ship of Tolerance will take place in May, led by professional carpenters from Manchester. To celebrate the exhibition’s opening, we will host a free concert featuring local young musicians and dancers. This special event will not only showcase the talents of emerging artists, but also foster friendships and collaboration, underscoring the unifying power of music and art.
While the Kabakovs’ early work is rooted in the Soviet social and cultural context where the Kabakovs came of age, their oeuvre has attained a universal significance, speaking to our ideological and socio-political present. Their exhibition of multiple installations, paintings, and drawings, and their three public sculptures at Oakville Galleries urge us to ask ourselves to consider our collective future. Through the vision of children and with a spirit of hope, The Ship of Tolerance asks us all how we can make the world a better place. The Ship of Tolerance is presented in collaboration with The National Gallery of Canada, and is our most ambitious project to date. The National Gallery of Canada’s National Engagement initiative is generously supported by Michael Nesbitt.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ilya and Emilia Kabakov have long been amongst the most celebrated artists of their generation, widely known as pioneers of installation art. Ilya Kabakov was born in 1933 in Dnepropetrovsk (now Dnipro) in Ukraine, formerly part of the Soviet Union. When he was eight, he moved to Moscow with his mother. He studied at the Art School of Moscow, and at the V.I. Surikov Art Institute. Artists in the Soviet Union were obliged to follow the officially approved style, Socialist Realism. Wanting to retain his independence, Ilya supported himself as a children’s book illustrator from 1955 to 1987, while continuing to make his own paintings and drawings. As an ‘unofficial artist’, he worked in the privacy of his Moscow attic studio, showing his art only to a close circle of artists and intellectuals and becoming the leader of the Moscow Conceptualist movement.
Ilya was not permitted to travel outside the Soviet Union until 1987, when he was offered a fellowship at the Grazer Kunstverein, Austria. The following year he visited New York, and resumed contact with Emilia Lekach. Born in 1945, Emilia trained as a classical pianist at Music College in Irkutsk, and studied Spanish Language and Literature at Moscow University before leaving the USSR in 1973. Ilya and Emilia began their artistic partnership in the late 1980s, and were married in 1992. Together, they have produced a prolific output of total installations and other conceptual works addressing ideas of utopia, dreams, and fear, all reflective of the universal human condition. Their work has been exhibited world-wide in leading museums and biennials. ArtNews Magazine listed the Kabakovs amongst the ten most important living artists in the world.
Ilya and Emilia Kabakov have collaborated together since 1988. Sadly, Ilya passed away in May of 2023. Emilia continues realizing their projects into the future.
Program of Events:
Press Preview:
Thursday, May 29th, 5 PM
Public Opening & Concert:
Saturday May 31st, 2 PM – 7 PM, Gairloch Gardens and Centennial Square
Artist’s website: https://www.kabakov.net/
Ship of Tolerance: https://shipoftolerance.org/
For additional information, to schedule an interview, book the Press Preview or request hi-res images for print, please contact:
Shannon Ye, Marketing & Communications Manager
Email: shannon@oakvillegalleries.com
905-844-4402