Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting, 1910-1940 [Kunsthal Rotterdam]

In the early 20th century, artists such as Emily Carr, Tom Thomson, and members of what would become the Group of Seven, transformed Post-Impressionism techniques into exciting new ways of interpreting the Canadian landscape.

Challenging existing traditions, they left major cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and ventured deep into the Canadian wilderness. Often remaining in the bush for weeks on end, they reimagined the natural world using bold colours, stylized forms, and dynamic brushwork, producing vibrant modernist works that would define Canada and Canadian art for decades to come.

Premiering at Frankfurt’s Schirn Kunsthalle, Magnetic North features 87 works of art, including 23 works from the National Gallery of Canada. The exhibition also comprise five films, including two by contemporary Indigenous artists: How a People Live, a documentary by filmmaker Lisa Jackson and Mobilize, a short film by artist Caroline Monnet.

Magnetic North was organized by the SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the National Gallery of Canada, with the generous support of the Department of Canadian Heritage.