Fundy is a video installation. The central element of the exhibition is a 37 minutes video program projected as a loop on one wall of the gallery. The projection is accompanied by found objects and props; both natural and artificial.
Artifacts presented include: an astronaut’s helmet and gloves; a DAB radio; rock samples found in various New Brunswick and Nova Scotia locations, in and around the Fundy biosphere; and an astrolabe. These props were used during production of the videos. These artifacts are presented museologically, on pedestals in a mise en abyme, inviting us to redefine our place in the landscape. There is also a vintage print on card in a gilded frame. The bucolic scene is juxtaposed with the image of an astronaut examining a bird nest. Another large vertical photographic work features an astronaut in a world built of geological strata. (The photograph has been printed to accommodate the availability of either vertical or horizontal wall space in the gallery.)
The last element of the exhibition is an LED sign with the word MAGNIFICENT. This work is part of a participatory media performance project carried out at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park as part of an art residency in the Fresh Air Program, September 2020. During our stay we asked visitors to suggest a word that described their general impression of the site. For example, the word could be a description of the quality of the light, an animal or plant that came to mind when they discovered the site, or a sense of wonder inspired by the magnitude of this unique place. Each word was presented on the portable LED panel until a new word was suggested by the next participant.
Fundy was organized by the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery and its Director, Laura Ritchie. The exhibition ran from November 13 to December 17, 2021. A bilingual book / catalogue was launched in the spring of 2022.