The exhibition anaamakamig (under the ground) went behind the scenes to explore the world of Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes) (2018), the short film by Michif interdisciplinary artist Amanda Strong. Accompanied by their friend, a 10,000-year-old shape-shifter known as Sabe, Biidaaban sets out on a mission to reclaim the ceremonial harvesting of sap from maple trees in an unwelcoming suburban neighborhood of Ontario. Driven by the words of Anishinaabe writer Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Strong’s mesmerizing stop-motion animation intricately weaves together multiple worlds through time and space, calling for a rebellion. The exhibition invited visitors into the world of Biidaaban and into Strong’s process by gathering together the elaborate puppets, sets and storyboards used to animate this story.
Amanda Strong is a Michif interdisciplinary artist with a focus on filmmaking, stop-motion animation and media art. She is currently based on unceded Coast Salish territories, also known as Vancouver, BC. Strong is the owner, director and producer of Spotted Fawn Productions Inc. (SFP). Under her direction, SFP uses a multilayered approach and unconventional methods centered on collaboration in all aspects of their work.
All Images: Installation view of Amanda Strong: anaamakamig (under the ground), exhibition at the Art Gallery at Evergreen, 2019. Photo: Rachel Topham Photography.
