Afghanistan Canadian Forces Artist Program (2010)

VIDEO: Produced by grunt gallery for Holding Our Breath Exhibition | January 4, 2013 – February 9, 2013

In 2013, work produced for the Afghanistan Canadian Forces Artists Program was featured in Holding our Breath at Grunt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

From grunt:

“Holding Our Breath” by Adrian Stimson, is a large-scale installation based on the artist’s first hand experiences and observations at a military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The work is informed by conversations Stimson had with soldiers, some of which were First Nations, and his impression with daily life occurring at the military base situated in the vast Middle Eastern landscape.

“…This exhibition brings together drawings, photographs, video and sculptural installations that explore the ambiguities of war by linking personal history with wider cultural and political issues. Although this work reflects on the complex situation in Afghanistan, Stimson deflects the focus away from the truncated newsreel moments to daily life affirming moments.” — excerpt from, “Holding Our Breath: The Work of Adrian Stimson” by Elizabeth Matheson.

The work includes the Stimson’s own personal perspective of serving in the military as well as his family’s history serving in the Canadian military as soldiers and historically as Blackfoot warriors. These experiences, in addition to Stimson’s time spent in Kandahar, allow the artist to approach these topics from a perspective that questions the essence of conflict and how this links between personal, cultural, and military identity.

More on the exhibition on grunt gallery website.