Opening Reception – ‘Jel Suarez | a bouquet of flowers must be held’ and ‘April Hickox | Vantage Point–Unfolding’
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
‘Jel Suarez | a bouquet of flowers must be held’
Onsite Gallery presents ‘a bouquet of flowers must be held’ by the 2025 Ateneo Art Award Recipient, Jel Suarez. Suarez returns to her grandmother’s once-catalogued library, transforming long-kept yet untended books into handmade paper, artist books, and collages. In a bouquet of flowers must be held, these fragments are gathered and carried as an offering to reconnect with an aunt living abroad. Each page holds traces of memory and care, gently placing something into her hands so that what has been kept may continue to be held across time and distance.
‘April Hickox | Vantage Point–Unfolding’
Video Screening: 12 min loop
Vantage Point-Unfolding is a continuation of April’s film Vantage Point–Passing. A document of her life lived on the Toronto Islands observing changes in the overlapping layers of human and natural histories, this film reflects April’s dedication to the climate crisis, environment, land stewardship, and our relationship to natural elements. Before her passing, April spoke about her plans for future iterations of this video, aspects she wanted to highlight and the interconnections between frames. For this version commissioned for Onsite Gallery, April’s daughter, Alexa Hickox, carried out April’s plans, creating a video composition that reflects April’s desire for the future of the work.
The video screening complements the exterior mural April Hickox | Vantage Point–Passing guest curated by Ursula Handleigh and Meera Margaret Singh on view through August 2026.
Onsite Gallery is generously supported by The Delaney Family.
We also acknowledge the support of Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council an agency of the Ontario Government and City of Toronto through Toronto Arts Council.
