Conceptions of White

Notice on Conceptions of White

Conceptions of White has recently received significant interest online, some of which has mischaracterized and misrepresented the exhibition and included works. This exhibition is intended to foster informed discussions that promote empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of historical and contemporary issues related to race.

Conceptions of White examines Whiteness as a social construct (ideas that societies create and uphold) rather than being based on genetics or skin colour. It considers where the idea of a “White race” comes from, and what it means to identify as White. It asks these questions with care, criticality, and compassion. The exhibition examines the impacts of the concept of Whiteness on all communities, whether they are White or not. For example, it considers the feeling of loss of cultural identity that can happen when groups of people from French, Italian, Mennonite, or any number of incredibly diverse cultures become lumped together as simply White. The show considers these losses alongside what privileges are gained through identifying as White.

Conversations about race often focus on non-White communities and avoid addressing Whiteness directly; this can be seen in the term “racialized” which suggests that people who are not White are the only ones who are defined by race. Whiteness is often viewed as the default/natural state, and it’s sometimes uncomfortable just to say the words, “White people.” Race is a very present topic in public consciousness today, and as a cultural institution, it is our responsibility to reflect the complex cultural conversations occurring in our world. Discussions about race are all around us, and to have a fulsome conversation, we have to be able to discuss Whiteness.

Exhibitions, like Conception of White, address challenging subject matter created by thoughtful and skilled artists speaking from various backgrounds and approaches. There are works that focus on humour, acts of kindness, and beauty alongside works that address trauma, difficult histories, and present realities. We understand that everyone has their own unique experiences and will take away different thoughts while engaging with this content.

Artwork is often meant to challenge commonly held ideas and beliefs, which may leave some viewers uncomfortable. We encourage you not to retreat from that discomfort and invite audiences to question what assumptions a given artist is challenging. Consider how the ideas shared in artworks of the past might feel normal today, but challenged viewers when they were created. It is our hope that this show starts conversations and encourages audiences to think about the role of race in our society. It is meant to examine the systems of power and privilege that are part of societies, create opportunities for knowledge sharing and meaningful connection, and further strengthen our communities.

Curatorial Statement

Conceptions of White is an exhibition offering context and nuanced perspectives that help viewers grapple with contemporary configurations of White identity. The exhibition examines the origins, travel, and present reality of “Whiteness” as a concept and a racial invention that classifies degrees of civility/humanity. Select historical objects and artworks illustrate White origin myths within their historical context, revealing Whiteness as a North American, settler-colonial invention of the seventeenth century, created alongside “Blackness” and “Aboriginality.” The contemporary artists in this exhibition complicate this historical foundation by examining how these acts of racialization are felt today through concepts of White guilt, anxiety, supremacy, benevolence, fragility, and power. These artists force us to confront the ideology of cultural erasure embedded in the social construction of Whiteness, the ramifications of its continually expanding borders, and the society fostered by this relatively young theory of racial categorization. Together, the diverse narratives, images, and concepts presented in Conceptions of White examine the existential, experiential, and ethical dimensions of engaging in classifications of Whiteness, while also drawing on the conceptual connections between colonial Whiteness and the aesthetic, social, and philosophical meaning we ascribe to the colour white.

The exhibition is framed through a biracial lens with both curators seeking a clearer understanding of their own relationship to Whiteness. John G. Hampton (Chickasaw/Canadian/American) is the Executive Director and CEO of the MacKenzie Art Gallery and Lillian O’Brien Davis (Jamaican/Canadian) is the Curator of Exhibitions and Public Programming at Gallery 44.

An Incomplete Timeline of White Racial Identity

Research toolkit available here

Touring Details

Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver BC: September 9, 2023-February 4, 2024 (Final Venue)