Mar 27–Aug 25, 2025
MoMA
This spring, MoMA PS1 hosts an extensive retrospective exhibition dedicated to the multifaceted career of Alanis Obomsawin, a renowned Abenaki artist, activist, and musician born in 1932. With a career spanning over six decades, Obomsawin stands as one of Canada’s most influential filmmakers, distinguished for her powerful work in Indigenous cinema and social advocacy.
The Children Have to Hear Another Story surveys a wide range of Obomsawin’s multidisciplinary practice, weaving together her evocative films, sculptures, sound works, and rarely seen archival materials that reveal the contexts behind their creation. This exhibition not only showcases her artistic achievements but also illuminates her enduring commitment to highlighting Indigenous experiences and histories through innovative storytelling.
Among the highlighted works are early pieces such as Christmas at Moose Factory (1971), an animated short that poignantly exposes the painful legacy of residential schools through the eyes of children’s drawings. In addition, the exhibition presents landmark documentaries such as Kanehsatake: 270 years of Resistance (1993), which chronicles the Mohawk community’s courageous stand against the expansion of a golf course onto sacred burial grounds, a pivotal moment in Indigenous activism.
By framing Obomsawin’s oeuvre within a broader narrative of social change, the exhibition draws attention to her trailblazing approach to Indigenous cinema—one that blends artistic expression with political engagement. Her works function as a vital record and catalyst for understanding resilience, resistance, and the importance of Indigenous voices in contemporary discourse.
The exhibition is organized by Richard Hill, Smith Jarislowsky Senior Curator of Canadian Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and independent curator Hila Peleg. Presented through a collaborative partnership involving Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the National Film Board of Canada, and CBC/Radio Canada—with generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts—this presentation at MoMA PS1 is curated by Elena Ketelsen González, Assistant Curator of MoMA PS1.
For readers interested in exploring this significant retrospective further, more details can be found on the official exhibition page: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5855. This exhibition offers an invaluable opportunity to engage deeply with the innovative spirit of Alanis Obomsawin and her profound contributions to art and social justice.
