The Play>Nation exhibit, tucked away on the third floor of the Design Exchange, is patriotic enough to begin with it, exploring, as it does, Canada’s outdoor culture over the centuries. But exploring the show yesterday afternoon left me even more proud of the Great White North, seeing as I’d brought a friend along who’d moved here from the American South. The more she oohed and ahhed at all the companies and century-old traditions, the more I realized that I take this part of our heritage a little for granted. (It was certainly the first time I’ve ever heard the words “what’s the Group of Seven?”)
“You guys really do love being outside,” my friend observed. “A lot.” I guess I’d just never thought about it like that before. Beyond it being the standard beer commercial theming, the Great Outdoors never occurred to me as something distinctly Canadian. But when you see it all in one room, it’s hard to argue: fur trapping, camping, hockey, lacrosse, hiking… the list goes on. Notably, the DX exhibit doesn’t shy away from spotlighting actual Canadian brands. Looking at an array of Roots bags alongside a sampling of Mountain Equipment Co-op coats and sleeping bags, I initially wrote the display off as some unfortunate marketing gambit until it became clear how intricately woven into our history these companies are: the Hudson Bay Company, bike manufacturer Cervelo, Bixi the bike share program (which originated, and was designed, in Montreal) are all present, their interconnected histories described in signage alongside the displays. The show isn’t all historical, though (it is the DX after all), as it juxtaposes old against new: a 1890 canoe, for example, is on display alongside the 2011 Feathercraft Wisper Folding kayak that collapses into a slightly-oversized backpack.
Among the Canadian artists participating in the exhibit, a highlight (for both myself and my American friend) was multidisciplinary practitioner Elinor Whidden, who explores myths about the Western Frontier in order to critique contemporary car culture; the artist uses salvaged car parts to create historic hiking and camping equipment that she then drags along historic fur trade routes. There are photos of her expeditions, as well as a pair of snowshoes made from scavenged tires, a walking stick affixed with a rear view mirror and other pieces. Such peripheral projects like these balanced out the more brand-centric displays into a multifaceted exploration of Canadian outdoor culture.
Play>Nation runs until October at the Design Exchange. The opening reception takes place tomorrow, July 7, from 6 to 9pm. It’s open to the public.
