In historical Baroque artworks, the mind (or soul) of the viewer was addressed through an appeal to the body, by way of intense sensory experience. A similar quality is found today in contemporary neo-baroque artworks that are characterized by powerful visual effects, and exaggerated material and aesthetic approaches that push reality.
Barroco Nova: Neo-Baroque Moves in Contemporary Art presents a range of work by contemporary artists who rely on exciting appeals to our senses as a means to comment on our remarkable and sometimes troubled times. Organized by curators Susan Edelstein and Patrick Mahon, the exhibition includes sculpture, photography, video and installation works, which demonstrate divergent responses to changing ideas about identity, to new attitudes, to the corporeal, and to urban space within our entertainment-oriented and media-charged world.
The exhibition spans three venues including the McIntosh Gallery and the ArtLab, at The University of Western Ontario. The Museum London portion of the exhibition includes works by Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla, David Altmejd, Shary Boyle, Sabine Bitter & Helmut Weber, Kelly Jazvac, Luanne Martineau, Kathy Slade, Brendan Tang, Diana Thater, Kelly Wood and Rhonda Wheppler and Trevor Mahovsky.