Her unique artworks challenge Canada’s structural racism and the racist construction of history through text and other memory objects and institutions.
“Art allows us to question power and authority, and it asks the viewer to think about whose voices are included in national narratives and whose are omitted or erased,” says Gibson.
The installation was spearheaded by Senator Patricia Bovey, chair of the Senate Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, to reflect within the Senate a wider representation of Canadians.
To better represent those voices, and in response to the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Bovey says the installation is a first iteration of more artistic diversity to come.
“What is the point of this wall? It is essential that the Canadian voices we hear and present reflect the diversity and depth of our regions and nation,” says Bovey. “The national response to this installation has been overwhelming. May we as senators and Canadians listen and build on the messages these works convey.”