“Position as Desired / Exploring African Canadian Identity:” Photographs from the Wedge Collection

On a further occasion, we went to an exhibition in the ROM. Beginning with artifacts of Canadian past, the exhibition seems to be a reconstruction of the formation of Canadian mainstream identity by displaying paintings of cities, explorers, wars, fleets and furniture. However interesting in itself, it looks like simple Canadian history, unquestioningly presenting pictures of happy Natives (ironic, considering how they were dealt with by the Europeans) and glorious victories. Yet, some of the pictures provide valuable sources of information, for the critical viewer more speaking through the absences in this part of the exhibition. Considering what we have learned in our course – the early presence of Black people in Canada and their contributions to Canadian construction and culture – the “traditional” part of the exhibition is highly revealing, for while the British, the French, and the First Nations are represented in the display of Canadian history, African Canadians are not.

Interestingly – and I would have liked to know that before I entered the exhibition – this historical part is only the framework of the actual exhibition, which is said to be “an intervention in the museum space, intended to destabilize embedded limitations on the positioning of black experiences in Canada” (rom.on.ca). Thus, the photos disrupt the traditional image of Canada, pushing themselves in the middle of Canadian identity, screaming to be seen and giving voice to the ignored element of Canadian history. In the question for identity, the works are quite interesting, exploring individual quests and statements of identity as well as the position Black people are assigned in Canadian identity and society.

What I found interesting are the pictures that are more distinctly made by the artists, such as those with testimonies of daily life at different periods of time, first in black and white, displaying African Canadian parents and children, in courtyards and landscapes, looking happy and carefree. The location is indicated by surroundings, such as a Chinese shop passed by by a father and daughter, or the Wonder Bus making the background of the portrait of two children. Such images of daily life seem very intimate and tell of belonging here and having dreams and hopes, creating a bright and warm world – though it is not clear how true these pictures are to reality. Other compositions, such as the Z-formed set of pictures, show portraits of all kinds of people from about 50 years ago, seeming to represent the heterogeneity of the Canadian population. Interesting in this composition is that the artist has put the photographs under glass of different shades, thus making colours a matter of coincidence. Continuing with more recent people, Dawit L. Petros displays pictures of people in homes, in their everyday clothing, or during their daily activities, sometimes mixed and sometimes same, at times contrasting against each other. While the previous compositions seemed widely positive, Petros’ photos are ambiguous, because in many cases the viewer sees Black people looking up to White ones, and it is not clear what intention such compositions have.

Particularly impressive and expressive are the pictures that more explicitly deal with the identity and the problems faced by African Canadians. A particularly interesting work is “You Are Just A Child” by David Zapparoli.

By combining the picture of a child with a document and a stamp – a progress report – Zapparoli shows the cruelty and absurdity of measuring a child’s abilities, a child being a developing and vulnerable being that has all the potential if only given the chance. It occurs to the spectator how brutal it is to load “just a child” with all the official reglementations and decisions, especially considering how school will influence the child’s perception of the world and himself. And even more serious the matter is for a Black child, who will likely face racial discrimination. There are further photographs, such as “Untitled” (from the series Target Market), dealing with problems such as violence young black males are subjected to. This particular picture, together with “You Are Just A Child” is also photograph over which something else is imposed, which, in my opinion, symbolizes the way things and circumstances are superimposed on innocent people. There are more photographs exploring similar topics, demonstrating symbols of identity both typically Canadian and African Canadian. Thus, “Sasha ‘Kalmplex’ Morrison” by Zanele Muholi, is wearing a Toronto shirt with baggy pants and dreadlocks, while in Dawit L. Petros’ “Sign,” the artist is in a warm jacket, referring to Canadian cold, and in the posture of Dürer’s “Self-Portrait In Fur Coat,” which indicates both European heritage and the adoption of the message of his painting – closeness of human beings to God’s image, status, and self-respect).

My general impression of the exhibition is moderately positive. In many cases I am not sure whether pictures give a negative and questionable message or whether they are this on purpose in order to make people think, such as with Megan Morgan’s series of pictures. While some paintings are very explicit in dealing with topics concerning Black identity in Canada, others would probably require more explanation concerning their message. While some of the photographs provide important sources for understanding the search for identity for African Canadians, it seems that sometimes, pictures appear too simple in their messages and style, such as the ones with Canadian symbols in dressing.