Jordan Bennett

Description of the exhibition

A tradition that is deeply rooted in winter’s imagination in Québec is ice fishing. Practiced as a leisure activity just a stone's throw from the main exhibition, it is evoked here in all the cultural richness it represents for the Mi'kmaq, of whom Jordan Bennett is a member. For him, “ice fishing is less about fishing than it is about communication, discussion, and sharing stories.” Thus, beyond being a means for survival, ice fishing also involves the transmission of knowledge and the vitality of a culture and its oral tradition.

With his fishing hut, Bennett invites us, like the ice fishers in his community, like his father and his loved ones, to take our time. This hole in the ice, and the slowness it encourages, allows us to connect with others, their stories, their cultures, but perhaps also with the water and the life that unfolds beneath our feet.

Artist biography

jordan bennett

(Born in Stephenville Crossing, Ktaqmuk (Newfoundland), Canada – Lives in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, Canada)

Jordan Bennett is a L’nu (Mi’kmaq) artist. Guided by the land of his ancestors, his practice opens conversations about contemporary Indigenous realities in urban and rural settings. His works explore land, language, the act of visiting, and family histories. His work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions, and he is the 2020 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterwork Arts Award.