Time of Change maps Egyptian-Canadian artist of Armenian origins Anna Boghiguian’s interest in revolutionary upheavals spurred by political, social, and cultural ideas in the Americas, Europe, and North Africa. Drawing inspiration from her vast travels throughout Canada and the globe, Boghiguian, examines the impact individuals have on history and how history impacts individuals. This exhibition presents installations and drawings—some newly commissioned for this exhibition—that reference historical characters and events that have played a role in shaping our modern world. Presented are works that chronicle seismic geopolitical shifts, and their aftermaths in our world order. Collectively, these works respond to overlapping histories of power relations, societal transformations, and the birth of political ideologies.

Conceived as a world stage, The Chess Game (2022-2023) is an oversized chess board with cutouts of historical figures from opposing and correlating schools of thought who quarrel for power. The rise of revolutions and falls of oppressive regimes is depicted in Time of Change (2022), a suite of ninety-six densely layered drawings. Notions of democratic ideals, and independence movements that galvanised upheavals across centuries is at the heart of these drawings that inspired the exhibition’s title. A small mobile, The Uprising (2022), features contemporary inventors and intellectuals whose ideas transformed society. A rare selection of early artist books illuminates Boghiguian's nomadic life and artistic processes. While the exhibition primarily addresses societal upheavals, it also draws attention to the contemporary artworld evolving in response to these revolutions, and the role of artists in safeguarding our delicate democracy.

With the global rise of dictatorial regimes and conservative governments that infringe upon freedom, Boghiguian’s works bring to light the issue of historical amnesia, and the shared efforts needed to unseat power. Time of Change resonates powerfully in our Canadian context, as emigration strains to Canada are prompted by warfare, military occupation, and economic instability—consequences of the abuse of power. Far beyond our immediate borders, Time of Change has a universal appeal, as it reframes events in the history of humanity—from the birth of the French Revolution to the Suez Crisis—evincing similarities with current struggles for liberation around the world.

Text by The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery