Kamias Triennial (KT) is a project that has, until now, regularly taken place in Manila, Philippines. This year marks the first time that KT will take place in Toronto. This fourth edition (KT4) is curated by its founder, artist Patrick Cruz, and curators Karie Liao and Su-Ying Lee.
The 4th Kamias Triennial (KT4) takes up the multiplicities of long-distance concepts and practices, examining how they shape and reshape connections among individuals and their environments. Central to its exploration is a hospitality framework, encompassing both radical and everyday manifestations, as a potential means to resist oppressive systems and foster understanding across non-linear time systems and perceived geographical boundaries. The screening program, Sasalubong (Tagalog for “will meet,” or “will welcome”), projects a future-oriented and hopeful perspective. KT4’s thematic thread involves identity formation, evident in the short video and film works.
Screening Programme
Okui Lala’s My Language Proficiency (2017) investigates the nuances of individuality within Malaysia’s multilingual society and poses the question: “Am I still the same person with each different language I use?” In Kiri Dalena’s latest film, the documentary style Little Gaza Filipinas (2024), women whose lives straddle locations and the war in Gaza speak from their first-hand experiences, moving between their pain and hope for peace and education. Made by the filmmaker in support of the Gaza refugees in the Philippines (Please note: This film contains descriptions of war and traumatic events that may not be suitable for everyone). A.S.M. Kobayashi’s File No. 2304 explores Canada’s shameful history of Japanese internment and forced labour camps through the artist’s meticulous examination of her great-grandfather’s government custodial file, unearthing hidden narratives within its inventories and documents. Mama’s Boy’s (Tanya & Olive Villaneuva) Ligaya presents a true story of a pregnant 19-year-old baby talking to her 20-year-old baby, talking to their 21-year-old baby. The non-linear film provides a snippet of the lives of two mothers (one expecting and one suspecting) each determined to heal the past and overcome societal expectations by envisioning a child with a strong sense of self worth in a future world that embraces them.
About the Artists
Kamias Triennial (KT) is an itinerant and collectively curated event with roots in Asia and Canada. It was founded in 2014 and the first three iterations (in 2014, 2017, and 2020) took place in Manila, Philippines. KT positions itself within a globalized art world through sustained relationships, its intimate scale, and intersectional conversations. It presents exhibitions, events, public dialogues, and relationship-building activities, contributing to contemporary art discourses through timely programming that embraces, critiques, and expands upon both eastern and western approaches to art production. Patrick Cruz is an artist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough who explores the intersections of folk spirituality, diasporic aesthetics, cultural hybridity, and decolonization in his work. Su-Ying Lee is an independent curator who has also worked in institutions. Karie Liao is a community-driven art curator and assistant curator at the Blackwood Gallery; she engages public space to collectively address contemporary issues, integrating a range of experiences, from curating artist’s books to overseeing large-scale art installations, into her practice.
Kamias Triennial Co-Directors/Curators: Patrick Cruz, Su-Ying Lee, Karie Liao
Contributing Artists: Kiri Dalena, A.S.M. Kobayashi, Mama’s Boy (Tanya & Olive Villaneuva), Okui Lala
GTA24 Live & Screening Programme
Greater Toronto Art 2024 (GTA24) showcases 25 intergenerational artists, duos, and collectives from or with a connection to the region. The exhibition is accompanied by a Live Programme, with newly commissioned performances, and a Screening Programme, featuring exclusive film presentations delivered at Paradise Theatre.
See all upcoming events, here.
