Holding Coburn
Onsite Gallery, Toronto
2022
Inspired by Wendy Coburn’s life and practice, Jess Dobkin welcomes you to a performance activation exploring what art works are for, how we engage with and take care of them, and what goes into creating them. Behind a gallery wall, Jess has transformed an Onsite storage room into a nursery. Visitors are invited to sit and hold sculpture moulds used by Wendy to cast two of her works, Swan (2001) and Twisted Swan Neck (2010) that appear in the exhibition. A variety of plant seedlings are tended on a baby changing table, where they will mature until the exhibition closes on May 14 and be distributed for planting. A mirror ball mobile spins and 528Hz frequency music sounds for the queer YES. There is also a 24/7 livestream inviting us to watch over the nursery from afar. Holding Coburn takes place every Saturday from 2 pm to 4 pm during the run of Fable for Tomorrow.