Rielisms

Additional Information

Rosalie Favell, I awoke to find my spirit had returned - from Plain(s) Warrior, 1999, giclée print, Collection of the artist

Rielisms

My people will sleep for 100 years, and when they awake it will be the artists who give them back their spirit. - Louis Riel Today Louis Riel is a much admired historical figure. He has become an icon for many contrasting experiences and ideologies that exist within Canada. To some, Riel is a hero: a "Father of Confederation" and the "Founder of Manitoba." To others, he is a religious figure, a madman, or a rebel. For many Metis, Riel is an important figure who plays a significant role in the cultural politics of Metis people. Rielisms surveys artistic portrayals of "Rielity" using three different time frames: the first, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, corresponds with Canada's centennial, the second, in the mid 1980s, with the centennial of Riel's execution and the Metis Resistence at Batoche, and the third, with the resurgent interest of the 1990s. The art in Rielisms is explained through the artists' beliefs about Riel and the Metis, and highlights their own cultural concerns. The complexities of Riel become evident as the differences and similarities of perceptions and experiences shine through in the art. The exhibition aims to facilitate cross-cultural and inter-community dialogues, and to raise the important question: Whose Hero Is Riel?