Adaptive Ceramic Histories: Opening Reception and Curator Talk

5:30 pm: Doors Open
6:00 pm: Curator Talk & Dialogue
7:00 pm: Reception

Join us to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Adaptive Ceramic Histories with a free curator talk and dialogue with Gardiner Museum Curatorial Resident Alexandra Box, followed by a reception. Box will discuss her research on histories of medical and adaptive ceramics, and how ceramics can guide our thinking and rethinking of sick and disabled people’s material conditions. Following her talk, Box will be in conversation with Senior Curator, Dr. Karine Tsoumis, and Sofia Flores-Ledesma, Programs & Education Coordinator.

The Gardiner Museum Curatorial Residency is made possible through the generous support of the Rebanks Family.

About the exhibition

Engage in an exploration of materially mediated dynamics of care and adaption. Adaptive Ceramic Histories presents an expansive way of looking at histories of medical and adaptive ceramics created for sick or disabled users. The exhibition invites you to delve into the design of care from the vantage point of users, departing from traditional histories of medicine centering on medical professionals. Instead, it considers the possibilities of pleasure and metaphor to build a more fulsome knowledge of patient care to craft the future.

Adaptive Ceramic Histories features objects from the Gardiner Museum’s permanent collection alongside loans to highlight the importance of ceramic materials at different moments in the history of Western medicine from the 17th century to the present day.

About the Curator

Alexandra Box is an arts professional and artist. She has been awarded fellowships and artist residencies through Medalta Potteries, Salt Spring Arts Council, and Point Gallery. Box is a curatorial participant in the Knowledge Incubator & Mentorship Initiative through Redefine Arts. Her writing has been published by Hearth, Peripheral Review, and The Capilano Review. Box serves on the Board at Forest City Gallery and is a contributor to the Media Collaboratory. She holds a BFA (2020) in ceramics and curatorial practices from Emily Carr University and an MA (2024) in Art History from the University of Toronto.