This project is part of Gift Shop Gift Shop, A Collaborative Project with Sean Martindale and Pascal Paquette, at the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), January 21 – April 1, 2012.
“Gift Shop Gift Shop, a store within a store features souvenirs of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) gift shop itself, rather than the expected gallery mementos, as well as other related open-edition art multiples. Gift Shop Gift Shop works by artists Sean Martindale and Pascal Paquette will be available alongside both collaborative and independent multiples by other local Toronto-based artists, designers and illustrators. The products for sale develop out of self-reflective art making and many of the works transform raw street and everyday materials and images into privileged, valuable objects. This project builds off the artists’ affinity for collaboration and the practice of using reclaimed materials. Taking inspiration from existing gift shop souvenirs or using gift shop overstock, these items will be examined and reworked to deconstruct how consumable objects are given value.
Martindale and Paquette run Gift Shop Gift Shop with shopAGO as a parallel project during the course of the NOWexhibition in the Toronto Now Series.”