Marking the Aga Khan Museum’s 10th anniversary, Light: Visionary Perspectives will explore light’s multifaceted impact. Featuring contemporary installations by prominent international and Canadian artists, including Anila Quayyum Agha, Tannis Nielsen, Olafur Eliasson, Kimsooja, and Anish Kapoor, the exhibition delves into how light shapes history and continues to influence our perceptions, emotions, and understanding of the world. These installations illustrate various physical properties and symbolisms of light, showcasing the unseen force’s universal ability to unite individuals, inspire empathy, and highlight the significance of diversity.
From mesmerizing mirrored sculptures that offer moments of self-reflection, to the Opticae Thesaurus — a significant 16th-century Latin translation of an 11th-century text on optics — the exhibition offers a captivating glimpse into the contemporary and historical impact of light. Co-curated by the Museum’s Associate Curator Bita Pourvash and Special Projects Curator Marianne Fenton, the installations and historical works explore all realms of light — the light of eye, mind, and heart.
Highlights from the exhibition include:
To Breathe — Presented through the generous support of the Faris D. Virani Fund for the Living Arts, artist Kimsooja’s kaleidoscopic installation makes the invisible visible through the use of a special film applied to the Museum’s Courtyard glass. As time and weather change, an array of rainbow colours float across the Atrium, embodying the concept of pluralism. This installation is a beautiful reminder that, despite our differences, we are all essential elements of a unified whole.
mazinbii’igan / a creation — Through the striking visual dance of electromagnetic energies and a compelling narration of an Anishinaabe creation story, Tannis Nielsen’s looped video installation allows for many beginnings and endings to exist simultaneously. This cyclical format binds parallel dimensions together in an abstract layering of time and story.
A Thousand Silent Moments (Rain Forest) — Commissioned by the Aga Khan Museum with the support of Partners in Art, Anila Quayyum Agha’s installation draws inspiration from the Museum Collections and emphasizes harmony amid seemingly conflicting elements. Visitors are invited to contemplate the ways in which they shape each other and the environment around them by being immersed in an interplay of light and shadow.
Opticae Thesaurus — The Latin translation of Kitab Al-Manazir (Book of Optics), highlights the transmission of knowledge from the Islamic world to the Western world in the Middle Ages. The original text by 10th-century Iraqi scholar and mathematician Ibn al-Haytham showcases the revolutionary contributions of Muslim scientists to our understanding of vision and optics, which lay the foundation for many of the ideas explored in the contemporary installations within the exhibition.
Light: Visionary Perspectives will be on display in the Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, Museum Collections Gallery, and Atrium.
Visit agakhanmuseum.org/light for more information regarding the exhibition, featured artists, Museum hours, and to purchase tickets.
Signature Sponsor: Orbital Technologies Inc.
Presenting Sponsor: Sunray Group
