(NGC), is honoured to present Abbas Akhavan as the speaker for the twelfth Annual Stonecroft Foundation Visiting
Artist Lecture. The University of Ottawa acknowledges that it is located on the unceded territories of the Anishinabe
Algonquin Nation, who are the traditional custodians of this land.
This lecture series is made possible through the generous support of the Stonecroft Foundation for the Arts, dedicated to advancing contemporary art discourse. The Annual Stonecroft Foundation Visiting Artist Lecture Series offers students at the University of Ottawa and the general public a unique opportunity to engage with the practices of prominent Canadian artists. We warmly invite you to attend this enlightening talk by Abbas Akhavan at the NGC auditorium on October 8th 2026 at 6pm. The lecture will be delivered in English, with simultaneous French interpretation available. To register, click here or visit the National Gallery Website.
The lecture will take place in the Auditorium at the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON). To register, click here or visit the National Gallery Website.
About Abbas Akhavan:
Abbas Akhavan's artistic practice is distinguished by its deep sensitivity to material, historical, and social contexts. His work spans ephemeral installations, drawings, videos, sculptures, and performances, each shaped by rigorous engagement with site-specific conditions. A defining voice in contemporary art, Akhavan has been featured in major solo and group exhibitions in Canada and internationally. Notably, he was selected to represent Canada at the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia 2026.
Born in Tehran in 1977 and based in Canada for over 30 years, Akhavan currently lives and works in Montreal and Berlin. He received an MFA from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver (2006), and a BFA from Concordia University, Montréal (2004).
Upcoming and recent solo exhibitions include Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2026); Canada Pavilion, Venice Biennale (2026); Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver (2025); Bangkok Kunsthalle, Bangkok (2025); Copenhagen Contemporary and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (2023); Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute (2022); Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver (2022); Chisenhale Gallery, London (2021); CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco (2019); Fogo Island Arts (2019); The Power Plant, Toronto (2018); Museum Villa Stuck, Munich (2017); Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (2017); Mercer Union; Toronto (2015); & the Delfina Foundation, London (2012). Recent group exhibitions include the Deichtorhallen, Hamburg (2024); 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2022); Protocinema, Istanbul (2021), Walk & Talk, São Miguel (2020); Toronto Biennale (2019); Liverpool Biennial (2018); SALT, Istanbul (2017); Prospect New Orleans (2017); Sharjah Biennial 13 (2017); & Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2016). Recent residencies include Fogo Island Arts, Fogo Island, Canada (2019, 2016, 2013); Atelier Calder, Saché, France (2017); and Flora ars+natura, Bogotá, Colombia (2015). He is the recipient of the Fellbach Triennial Award (2017); Sobey Art Award (2015); Abraaj Group Art Prize (2014); and the Berliner Kunstpreis (2012).
About the University of Ottawa:
The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation. The Department offers attentive teaching and monitoring within a close-knit university community, while also encouraging student interaction with a broad network of art institutions and professionals. For more information, please visit the Department of Visual Arts.
University of Ottawa MFA Visual arts:
In this bilingual two-year program students take an in-depth look at theories informing contemporary art and image culture. Theory courses provide exposure to contemporary artistic and cultural discourse, and the basis for students' contextualization of their personal studio work at one of the many art institutions in the region, or with a professionals artist, is a distinctive feature of our program. The deadline for application to the program is February 1st. Information about the application process is available here. Interested candidates are invited to contact Professor Martin Golland, graduate Program Director for more information: [email protected].
About the National Gallery of Canada
Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world’s most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all—now and for generations to come. We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, major works from the 14th to the 21st century and extensive library and archival holdings. Our dazzling, light-filled building is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation, in Ottawa. To find out more about the Gallery’s programming and activities, visit www.gallery.ca, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
For more information :
Talia M boileau
Department of Visual Arts
University of Ottawa
613-562-5868
[email protected]