Fragments of Epic Memory brings sights, sounds and moves of the Caribbean to the AGO beginning September 1

September 1, 2021 – February 21, 2022
AGO

An immersive journey into the complex history, beauty, and landscape of the Caribbean, the AGO’s new major exhibition Fragments of Epic Memory invites visitors to explore the region and its artistic imagination this fall through a dynamic line-up of talks, events, and performances.

Two new artworks, commissioned by the AGO, are a highlight of the exhibition. Standing 5 metres tall, Moko Jumbie is a new sculpture by British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové (b. 1966). Inspired by aspects of African masquerade and Trinidadian Carnival, it features a masked figure adorned in antique glass beads, cowbells, and gold Air Jordan sneakers, standing atop towering stilts. Moko Jumbie goes on display in Walker Court, the AGO’s central atrium, on Aug. 31, 2021. A guardian who travelled to the region to protect enslaved peoples from evil, the figure of Moko Jumbie blends African diasporic mythologies: in Central Africa, ‘Moko’ refers to a healer, while ‘Jumbie’ is a Caribbean term for spirits. Since the early 1900s, it has been a key figure at Carnival celebrations in Trinidad and across the Caribbean.

Also making its debut is Toronto-based artist Sandra Brewster’s moving portrait of her mother, a large-scale photo transfer on wood entitled Feeding Trafalgar Square (2021). The latest in a series of photographic tributes to her Guyanese-born parents, Brewster’s blue-tinged image bridges past and present, turning a joyful moment into a moving meditation on what it means to be displaced.

Curated by the AGO’s Julie Crooks, Fragments of Epic Memory is the first exhibition to be organized by the AGO’s new Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora. 

Fragments of Epic Memory talks and performances are supported by Lead Sponsor TD Bank Group, through the TD Ready Commitment. “At TD, we believe artists have the capacity to be agents of education and expand contemporary dialogues around diaspora, race, gender, and identity,” says Naki Osutei, Associate Vice President of Social Impact Canada, at TD Bank Group. “We are thrilled to see the complex histories of the Caribbean and its Diaspora brought to the forefront in Fragments of Epic Memory. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD is proud to support the AGO and sponsor arts and culture events, initiatives, and organizations across North America that promote inclusive representation and diverse voices.”