Root of the Tongue
Montgomery's Inn Museum, Etobicoke
Artists
Steven Beckly with Fan Wu and Thom Gill
Exhibition Dates
June 23 – August 27, 2023
Root of the Tongue is an exhibition of new artworks by Steven Beckly featuring a sound piece by Fan Wu and Thom Gill. Situated within Montgomery’s Inn, it consists of evocative images, sounds, and sculptural objects inspired by the Chung family, Chinese market gardeners who resided there in the 1940s. Considering their intimate roots to the site as well as the racism and xenophobia they faced during that time in Canada, Root of the Tongue explores the vegetable garden as fertile grounds for rituals of care and cultivation, ripe with symbolism and queerness.
This project is part of the Toronto History Museums’ Artist Mentorship Showcase: Pride with Mentor Ashley Mckenzie-Barnes. Experience a range of art projects at 10 history museum sites featuring artists from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Heads Up, 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Heads Up, 2023. Vinyl prints, glazed ceramics, Napa cabbages and white cabbage butterfly. Dimensions variable.
Heads Up (detail), 2023
Heads Up (detail), 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Aster Yellows, 2023. Vinyl prints and glazed ceramics with plastic flowers. Dimensions variable.
Aster Yellows (detail), 2023
Aster Yellows (detail), 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Hot House, 2023. Vinyl prints and glazed ceramics. Dimensions variable.
Hot House (detail), 2023
Hot House (detail), 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Hot House (detail), 2023
Hot House (detail), 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023
Installation view of Steven Beckly: Root of the Tongue, at Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, 2023