Canada's Newest Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Saskatoon by Claire Voon
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Some have called it the "Paris of the Prairies." It's a nickname that now seems even more apt for the fast-growing city of Saskatoon, which last month celebrated the opening of Canada's newest modern and contemporary art museum. The Remai Modern houses works by renowned Canadian and international artists as well as the largest collection of Picasso linocuts, and it aspires to be a world-class attraction that draws tourists to this urban center of Saskatchewan.
Its inaugural exhibition, Field Guide — which presents collection pieces, loans, and new commissions to "animate the entire museum with a spirit of active engagement, curiosity, and disruption" — has four massive, modular sculptures by Haegue Yang hanging from the atrium's ceiling, like Sol Lewitt-inspired chandeliers. Hallways on the second floor, with grand views of the river, are generous stages for wall text by Laurence Weiner and a transparent iteration of Philippe Parreno's "Speech Bubbles." A more inspiring use of interstitial space is the illumination of a stairwell by Pae White's zany constellation of colorful, neon symbols, which also serve as light therapy — according to the artist — to counteract seasonal affective disorder.
Field Guide continues at Remai Modern (102 Spadina Crescent East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) until February 25, 2018.