An Opulence of Squander

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Taking its title from an essay by artist Kelly Wood, An Opulence of Squander brings together works largely from the Belkin’s collection and archive with artists that reflect on concepts of surplus and excess to question the dual ascription of artistic work as a form of both luxury and waste. The works in the exhibition are unified by their critique of the pursuit of perpetual growth under capitalist regimes and its demand for continuous production.

Measures of productivity, such as gross domestic product, gross national income and unemployment rates, are treated as indicators of a society’s collective social, political and cultural well-being. But the ongoing climate crisis challenges the doctrine of productivity, exposing the unfettered waste and excesses that are often a by-product of economic growth.

In lieu of the imperative to produce, An Opulence of Squander brings together artworks by Lorna Brown, Alexandra Dikeakos, Geoffrey Hendricks, Stuart Horn, Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens, Deborah Koenker, Mike MacDonald, Michael Morris, Robert Rauschenberg, Howard Ursuliak, Kelly Wood and the artist collective Soft Turns that recognize both the limits to productivity and the contradictory ideological premises that foster and justify the continued exploitation of people and nature.

An Opulence of Squander will be shown concurrently with That Directionless Light of the Future: Rediscovering Russell FitzGerald curated by Jon Davies.

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• Exhibition: An Opulence of Squander belkin.ubc.ca
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Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery

Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery promotes understanding and discussion of contemporary art and ideas through its curated exhibitions, programs, publications, special projects and loans from its collection and archive. Since its inception in 1948 as the UBC Fine Arts Gallery, the Belkin has offered artists and communities space to discuss, engage and respond critically to the present. We believe that art is a form of research that produces knowledge, bringing local, national and international perspectives to the role that art can play in fostering civil societies. Admission is always free and everyone is welcome.

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