Nikki Forrest

A new installation by artist Nikki Forrest. Part of Saskadiaspora, which gathers together artists who have lived in Saskatchewan, but now reside elsewhere.

Additional Information

Video still from research for the exhibition

In this new installation, artist Nikki Forrest presents a reflection on identity which finds its inspiration from the perspective of teenage desire growing up on the Canadian prairies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While poetic and open-ended, underlying Forrest's installation are questions of freedom and representation. The late '70s for many -- particularly in large urban centres -- were about punk rock: both nihilistic ("no future"), and yet utopian, with its emphasis on personal agency and rebellion (DIY, do it yourself). From the perspective of a small prairie city, where such non-conformity seems both compelling and dangerous, the forces of subcultural identity morph into hybrid equations of appropriated style, both accepting and rejecting, big urban identity. Ultimately, Forrest does not rely exclusively on the specifics of her own past in this meditation which equally alludes to contemporary struggles with conformity, independence, and desire. Forrest provides the viewer with an engaging visual and audio environment subtly exploring the politics of dislocation and belonging. Nikki Forrest is presented as part of the series Saskadiaspora, which gathers together artists who have lived in Saskatchewan, but now reside elsewhere. Originally from Scotland, Forrest spent several years in Saskatoon. She completed her Master of Fine Arts, at Concordia University in Montréal, where she now resides. Perhaps best-known for her video work, the Dunlop will also present a special screening of her previous tapes.