Joan Jonas: We come from the sea
DATE: Aug 10—Oct 12, 2025
LOCATION:
Events Events / Eltuek Gallery 203
On August 8 at 6PM, join us at Eltuek Arts Centre for the opening night celebration of We come from the sea by Joan Jonas — one of the most influential American artists of our time.
This landmark evening marks the Canadian debut of a major work by Jonas, whose connection to Unama’ki, Cape Breton spans more than 50 years. She will be in attendance.
Enjoy live performances by local celebrated artists Sarah Prosper and Brenda Stubbert, plus food, drinks, and a chance to gather in honour of a visionary whose work continues to shape contemporary art.
This is a free event. All are welcome.
Presented simultaneously at Eltuek Arts Centre in Sydney and Inverness County Centre for the Arts in Inverness, and organized by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the National Gallery of Canada, We come from the Sea runs August 10 to October 12, 2025.
Step into the world of internationally acclaimed artist Joan Jonas in this powerful and immersive multisensory exhibition featuring her installation Moving Off the Land II. In the exhibition, Jonas — a central figure in video and performance art — pays homage to the beauty, biodiversity, and vulnerability of oceans. Moving Off the Land II reflects years of research, performance, and filmmaking in the waters of Jamaica and Nova Scotia, and in aquariums around the world. The work invites visitors to experience the ocean as never before — not just as a place, but as a living, breathing part of themselves.
Through layered projections, soundscapes, movement, drawing, and storytelling, We come from the sea examines the line between art and nature, fact and feeling. Jonas’ deep connection to Cape Breton, where she has lived seasonally since 1970, is woven throughout, bringing local landscapes and local spirit into a global conversation.
“Somewhere in our unconscious we remember that we come from the sea. It’s not a memory; it’s a feeling; it’s in our DNA.” — Joan Jonas
