TORONTO – The solo show by Cindi Emond in Toronto, Canada as part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, 2023, will be presented by the Donna Child Fine Art Gallery (365 Evans Avenue, Toronto), May 2 – 31, 2023. During the exhibition, there will also be a meeting with the artist on 11 May, at 6.30pm. 

This four-part series, “Past Present Future, L’Arte che Scompare (the disappearing arts)”, is an exploration of extinguishing cultural arts in Italy, some of which are recognized by UNESCO. It is environmental portraiture representing Italian heritage, the persistence of cultural traditions and national identity. With the emerging forces of change and technologically advancement today, no one has time to reflect on our agro-pastoral past. The grape harvest of Asprinio, the Transumanza and the Cantor a Tenore, songs the shepherds sang, all connect to that past. The Marinelli Bell Foundry with its 26 generations of history may make one query why they should be considered in the context of disappearing arts. One only has to look at the crisis of faith to understand the worry the newest generation is grappling with.

Emond hopes to share these fragile traditions with a broader audience because she thinks our cultures, rituals, and mythologies need to be preserved.

The participants in the exhibition are the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Toronto, the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, and the Canadian Embassy in Italy.

For this Canadian expat, living in Rome for over 20 years, “It is not nostalgia, but pride of place that must inspire us to keep these traditions alive. I believe there is a fundamental need to protect and document the cultural arts which form the foundation of our collective historical past”.

Emond is a graduate of York University, Toronto, Canada. She holds a split major in Art History and Fine Arts, Photography and Graphic Design; and has a second degree from York University in Marketing and Communications.

A compelling storyteller, Cindi uses visual vocabulary to tell meaningful narratives that resonate with the viewer. Having captured still images of people, cultures, and landscapes from around the world, her photographic journey has led her back to Italy for this exhibition. The visual history her environmental portraiture addresses is one of Italian heritage, the persistence of cultural traditions and national identity.

Cindi began working as a fine art photographer in 2015 and her work is showcased in corporate and private collections in Canada and Italy.

Hiker, skier, diver, Emond is happiest in movement. Sommelier through the Fondazione Italiana Sommelier, when she stops it is often to photograph her appreciation for good wine and food in memorable stories that evoke the scents and flavours of a place.

Info: www.cindiemondphotography.com (artist) and https://cindiemondcontact2023.com (exhibition)

(IG Cindi.Emond – FB Cindi Emond Photography)