Why TYPOLOGY?

We’re lucky in that Toronto has no shortage of wonderful exhibition spaces, so you may be wondering just what sets us apart from the great museums, galleries, and artist-run organizations that already exist within the arts ecology downtown. What makes our voice unique in this local cultural conversation?

TYPOLOGY is…

A curator-led initiative
Our mission springs from the interests, motivations and methodologies of contemporary curatorial practice, foregrounding critical inquiry, collaboration, and experimentation in making new connections between artists, art forms, ideas, images, objects, environments, and audiences. Through our exhibitions and events, TYPOLOGY seeks to stimulate curiosity, conversation, and critical thinking on contemporary culture and the curation/creation of exhibitions themselves through the lenses of collecting, organizing, displaying, and viewing or experiencing. Furthermore, through our nascent guest curating program, we provide opportunities for independent curators to mount fully realized exhibitions within a critical framework. In the process, we are building curatorial community and resources for the exchange and expansion of ideas on contemporary culture and the modes and methods of exhibition-making.

A critical perspective in programming and publishing
As viewers, thinkers, writers, and exhibition-makers, curators can and should advance a critical perspective on the work they exhibit, and be sensitive to the ways in which exhibition design and methods of display communicate these ideas to a diverse audience. As such, our programming deploys multiple curatorial methods and materials to engage audiences in exhibition content and production. Through our events and workshops, and the publication of our blog, catalogues, and in-gallery supplements, TYPOLOGY seeks to enrich the exhibition experience and encourage active participation in our projects and programming.

An inclusive creative community
TYPOLOGY embraces an inclusive vision that accommodates local and international artists and curators at all stages of their careers, as well as audiences of all ages, cultures, and concerns. Programming emphasizes collaborative and cross-disciplinary practices and presentations as a way to stimulate dialogue between fields and disciplines. Recognizing that children are our next generation of artists, critics, curators, collectors, exhibition-makers, and gallery-goers, TYPOLOGY makes kids’ programming a priority with family-friendly events and workshops planned for each exhibition.

A hybrid model for supporting the arts and exhibition-making
TYPOLOGY is a small not-for-profit organization and budgets are carefully developed on a case-by-case basis to accommodate exhibition expenses including some remuneration for participating artists and guest curators. Our model also allows exhibiting artists the opportunity to sell their work, and visiting collectors to gain access to art not otherwise readily available, as many of the artists we show do not have gallery representation. Through our print publishing program, reasonably-priced limited editions by exhibiting artists are an enticing entry into collecting for art lovers of any age and ability. As a place for curators and collectors, both established and emerging, to discover new work presented from a critical perspective, TYPOLOGY serves underrepresented artists, art forms, and audiences, filling a gap in the arts ecology of downtown Toronto, the GTA, and beyond. All proceeds go exclusively toward supporting artists’ practices and project space programming, including community outreach.

A small space with big ideas
At a time when bigger/faster/more is becoming the expectation in the world of art and exhibitions, TYPOLOGY is set up to explore the great potential in being smaller, slower, and more focused in our approach — the opposite of an art fair.

We hope this helps you to understand and embrace what TYPOLOGY has to offer Toronto’s cultural community. Find out how you can participate or collaborate — as a curator, artist, or audience member — by subscribing to our blog for updates, announcements, and invitations to upcoming events.

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published November 2013