Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo): BODY FLUID (BLOOD)

This fall, Remai Modern presents the first solo museum exhibition in North America by Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo). Drawing on the emotional resonance of found objects and shared experiences, Puppies Puppies’ work explores love, mortality, power relations and states of being.

In BODY FLUID (BLOOD), Puppies Puppies considers blood as a liquid that unites us all, while exploring the complexities of our inner workings. The exhibition is formed around a constellation of issues and themes: the artist’s family connections and influences, what it means to share and give blood, and what blood may carry or transmit. The works combine the intensely personal with the anonymous and uniform, considering containment, circulation and the fluidity of self.

The exhibition is also activated by encounters and procedures. On-site HIV testing is offered in a private consultation room within the exhibition space, in collaboration with Saskatoon Sexual Health. Through this presence, testing can be de-stigmatized while raising awareness of HIV prevention, care and community resources.

As a child, Puppies Puppies saw both of her parents donate blood. She wanted to do the same when she got older, but has not been able to under the eligibility criteria established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a member of the queer community, Puppies Puppies acknowledges the personal and political sensitivity around eligibility. The artist encourages donation as a vital and generous act, while also promoting discussion around criteria and risk factors.

In partnership with Canadian Blood Services (CBS), transportation from the museum to a blood donation centre on the CBS Lifebus is offered every Saturday for the duration of the exhibition. Guests who visit the donation centre on other days are encouraged to donate under the code BODY175600. Those who may not be eligible, or who choose not to donate, are invited to participate in the project by accompanying or supporting an eligible donor.

The exhibition is on view from September 21-November 17. On Tuesday, October 15 at 7pm, the museum will host a free panel discussion with representatives from community health and advocacy organizations in Saskatchewan.

Remai Modern is thankful to all of the organizations that have consulted and collaborated on this project: Canadian Blood Services, Saskatoon Sexual Health, OUTSaskatoon, AIDS Saskatoon and Persons Living with AIDS Network of Saskatchewan.

About Remai Modern
Remai Modern is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Traditional Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to First Nations and Métis ancestors and reaffirm our relationship with one another.

Remai Modern is a new museum of modern and contemporary art in Saskatoon. The museum is committed to affirming the powerful role that art and artists play in questioning, interpreting and defining the modern era.

Open since October 2017, Remai Modern is the largest contemporary art museum in western Canada and houses a collection of more than 8,000 works, including the world’s foremost collection of Picasso linocut prints.