Kika Thorne Explained

Field:	Artist, Filmmaker, Curator
Kika Thorne
Birth Place:	Toronto, Canada

Kika Thorne is a Canadian artist, filmmaker, curator, and activist.^[1] She was born in Toronto, where she is currently based.^[2]

Life

Thorne graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD University) in Toronto, Ontario, in Media Production and Cultural Theory,^[3] and went on to receive her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia.^[4]

Artistic practice

In her early career, Thorne worked largely in film and moving image and also co-founded a feminist, cable television collective called SHE/TV (1991-1998) which aimed to mentor female filmmakers in producing experimental TV.^{[5] [6]} Between 1996 and 2004, Thorne collaborated with fellow artist Adrian Blackwell to produce videos, installations and civic interventions. Thorne also worked as a curator for Vancouver's VIVO Media Arts Centre where she helped instigate a series of actions to express dissent around issues of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

With her multimedia/sculptural installations, Thorne works with the materials of mylar, elastic cord, rare earth magnets, plant-derived ink, aircraft cables, and other non-traditional art materials. Themes in her practice include an interest in geometry, physics, the visible spectrum, photosynthesis and social practice.^[7]

Select group exhibitions

• 2024: Gimme Shelter Saw Gallery, Ottawa, Canada ^[8]
• 2023: What is Welcome? Helen and Morris Belkin Gallery, UBC, Vancouver, BC, Musqueam Territory ^[9]

^{[10] [11]}

• 2020: Part of the Problem, Forum Expanded, Berlinale, Berlin, Germany ^[12]
• 2018: A Salve of Sorts, WAAP / Vacation Gallery, New York, New York ^[13]
• 2018: Dis[RE]Placement, Centre 3, Hamilton, Ontario ^[14]

^[15]

• 2015: Silva Part I: O Horizon, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo, British Columbia ^[16]
• 2015: Geometry of Knowing, SFU Gallery, Burnaby, British Columbia ^[17]
• 2014: One Possible Arrangement, Katzman Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario^[18]
• 2013: Things’ Matter, Or Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia^[19]
• 2013: I Thought There Were Limits, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Toronto, Ontario^[20]
• 2010: Western Front London Edition, No Soul for Sale Tate Modern, London, UK ^[21]
• 2008: No Time to Lose, Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen, Scotland
• 2007: Gasoline Rainbows, Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia^[3]
• 2007: Street Scene, Murray Guy, New York City^[22]
• 2004-2011: e-flux video rental, e-flux, New York; Artprojx, London; Insa Art Space, Seoul; Portikus, Frankfurt; KW, Berlin; Manifesta, Amsterdam; The Moore Space, Miami; I Bienal de Canarias, Tenerife; Arthouse Jones Center, Austin; PiST///, Istanbul; unitednationsplaza, Berlin; Mucsarnok, Budapest; Location Project, Antwerp; Extra City Center, Antwerp; 9th Lyon Biennial, Lyon; Centre Culturel Suisse de Paris, Paris; Carpenter Center, Boston; the building, Berlin; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon; 41 Salòn Nacional, Cali; Fondazione Giuliani per l’arte contemporanea, Rome; MG+MSUM, Ljubljana.^[23]
• 2003: Zones, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario ^[24]
• 2001: The Lefty Show, A Space, Toronto, Ontario
• 2001: Substitute City, The Power Plant, Toronto, Ontario ^[25]

Solo exhibitions

• 2023: Not for sale! Architects Against Housing Alienation, Venice Biennale of Architecture, Canada pavillion, Venice ^[26]

^{[27] [28]}

• 2018: Tax Gentrification! The Public Studio, Toronto, Ontario ^[29]
• 2015: The Question of a Hunch, The Work of Wind, Nuit Blanche, Toronto, Ontario ^[30]
• 2014: Multiplicity of the Singularity, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia^[6]
• 2012: The Wildcraft, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario ^[31]

^[32]

• 2012: medicine, G Gallery, Toronto, Ontario ^[33]

^[34]

• 2011: a bar IST a garden IST a cafe IST a reading room , Berlinale Forum Expanded, Berlin, Germany^[35]
• 2010: Singularity, Galerie ZK, Berlin, Germany ^[36]

^[37]

• 2004: Dehomogenised, LRT Commission, Artcity, Calgary ^[38]
• 2001: Kika Thorne in collaboration, Unit Pitt, Vancouver, BC, ^[39]

Film screenings

• 2004: VS., Latvian House, Toronto, Ontario^[40]
• 2003: Kika Thorne, The Disorder of Things, Kino Arsenal, Berlin, and Kino Bremen, Bremen, Germany ^[41]
• 2000: Pleasure Dome's 10th Anniversary Screening, CineCycle, Toronto, Ontario^[42]
• 1997: New Toronto Works Show, CineCycle, Toronto, Ontario^[43]
• 1995: Puberty Film Show, CineCycle, Toronto, Ontario^[44]

Collective work/civic interventions

• 2018 - present: Gentrification Tax, Gentrification Tax Action, Toronto, Ontario^{[45] [46]}
• 2010: SAFE ASSEMBLY (curated), VIVO Media Arts Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia^[47]
• 2003: ambience for a future city, Anarchist Free School, Toronto, Ontario
• 1997: Sod Roll for Shawn Keegan, The April Group, Toronto, Ontario
• 1997: Untitled (mattresses), The February Group, Toronto, Ontario
• 1996: Untitled (inflatable), The October Group, Toronto, Ontario

Honours

• 1997: Winner Best Canadian Video Images Film and Video Festival^[48]

References

1. Web site: Kika Thorne. www.mediaqueer.ca. 2020-03-04.
2. Web site: Arsenal: Kika Thorne. Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst e.V.. en-UK. 2020-03-04.
3. Web site: Gasoline Rainbows. Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver. en-CA. 2020-03-04.
4. Web site: Things' Matter Or Gallery. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200304064830/http://www.orgallery.org/past/things-matter. 2020-03-04. 2020-03-04. www.orgallery.org.
5. Web site: Kika Thorne Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. www.cfmdc.org. 2020-03-04.
6. Web site: Multiplicity of the Singularity. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. 2020-03-04.
7. Web site: Arsenal: Kika Thorne. Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst e.V.. en-UK. 2020-03-11.
8. Web site: A Salve of Sorts . WAA Projects . 2024-11-19.
9. Web site: What is Welcome? . Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery . University of British Columbia . 2024-11-19.
10. Web site: What is Welcome? Exhibition . UBC Events . University of British Columbia . 2024-11-19.
11. Web site: What is Welcome? . Galleries West . 2024-03-15 . 2024-11-19.
12. Web site: Berlinale 2020: News & Press Releases . Berlinale . Berlin International Film Festival . 2020-01-30 . 2024-11-19.
13. Web site: Give Me Shelter . SAW Centre . 2024-11-19.
14. Web site: Displacement . Centre[3] . 2024-11-19.
15. Web site: An Artistic View of Gentrification in Hamilton . The Hamilton Spectator . 2024-11-19.
16. Web site: Silva Part I: O Horizon . Galleries West . 2024-11-19.
17. Web site: Geometry of Knowing - SFU Galleries - Simon Fraser University. www.sfu.ca. 2020-03-04.
18. Web site: exhibitions & events. M6N 2Z9Canada. Katzman Contemporary 86 Miller StreetToronto. ArtSlant. 2020-03-04.
19. Web site: Things' Matter Sets Thoughts in Motion at Or Gallery. Turner. Michael. Canadian Art. en-US. 2020-03-04.
20. Web site: exhibitions & events. House. Justina M. Barnicke Gallery Hart. Toronto. University of Toronto7 Hart House Circle. ArtSlant. 2020-03-04. M5S 3H3Canada. O. N..
21. Web site: Western Front Archives . Western Front . 2024-11-19.
22. Web site: exhibitions & events. YorkNYUS. Murray Guy 453 W. 17th St 10011 New. ArtSlant. 2020-03-04.
23. Web site: e-flux Video Rental . e-flux . 2024-11-19.
24. Web site: Exhibition Archive: 2003 . Art Gallery of Hamilton . 2024-11-19.
25. Web site: Substitute City (2001) . Philip Monk . Philip Monk . 2024-11-19.
26. Web site: Demand: Gentrification Tax . Architects Against Housing Alienation (AAHA) . 2024-11-19.
27. Web site: Roll Down Your Banners, Take Down Your Flags . Guatam . Mahika . 2023-08-01 . e-flux . 2024-11-19.
28. Web site: Canadian Architects Call for Housing Revolution at Venice Biennale . Morelli . Didier . 2023-07-19 . CBC Arts . 2024-11-19.
29. Web site: Gentrification Tax . The Public Studio . 2024-11-19.
30. Web site: Scapegoat: Landscape, Architecture, Political Economy. www.scapegoatjournal.org. 2020-03-04.
31. Web site: Kika Thorne: The Wildcraft . Art Windsor-Essex . 2024-11-19.
32. Web site: Kika Thorne: The Wildcraft . C Magazine . 2024-11-19.
33. Web site: Medicine with Kika Thorne . Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) . 2024-11-19.
34. Web site: Medicine . Kika Thorne . 2024-11-19.
35. Web site: A Bar is a Table . Thorne . Kika . Scapegoat: Architecture/Landscape/Political Economy . 02 . 2011 . 2024-11-19.
36. Web site: Kika Thorne: Singularity . Internet Archive . 2024-11-19.
37. Web site: Kika Thorne: Singularity Exhibition . Art in Berlin . 2024-11-19.
38. Web site: Peep Box Special . Stride Gallery . PDF . 2024-11-19.
39. Web site: Kika Thorne: Beginning of Architecture Series . Unit/Pitt . 2024-11-19.
40. Web site: VS. – Pleasure Dome. pdome.org. 2020-03-04.
41. Web site: Kika Thorne: Singularity . Mike Hoolboom . 2024-11-19.
42. Web site: Pleasure Dome's 10th Anniversary Screening – Pleasure Dome. pdome.org. 2020-03-04.
43. Web site: New Toronto Works Show – Pleasure Dome. pdome.org. 2020-03-04.
44. Web site: Puberty Film Show – Pleasure Dome. pdome.org. 2020-03-04.
45. Web site: Experiments in Collective Form. Thorne. Kika. Blackwell. Adrian. Canadian Art. en-US. 2020-03-09.
46. Web site: Artists Are Leaving, 2018. 2018-12-13. C Magazine Issue 140 Page 42. en. 2020-03-09.
47. Web site: We Come From Here. Kazymerchyk. Amy. anamnesia.vivomediaarts.com. 2020-03-09.
48. Web site: Video Vtape. www.vtape.org. 2020-03-04.