BUTCHER GALLERY is pleased to present SPIRIT ROOM, an all-new installation produced by Toronto-based artist Stephen Wicks (1984 - ).

SPIRIT ROOM addresses the interpretation and memory of popular culture with a specific focus on figures and achievements of the 1970's.

Through living and kinetic elements SPIRIT ROOM attempts to explore the affinity the artist shares with this time by transforming the gallery into an interactive and participatory space where routine, activity and habitation will affect elements of the show's appearance throughout. The inclusion of references and allusions act not as a basis or foundation of meaning but, rather as beacons or points from which the visitor may orient themselves both physically and temporally. SPIRIT ROOM privileges the visitor with an opportunity to engage with these themes free from the dictated and often narrow scope of nostalgia and with a tangible assurance that every effort has been made to provide a contemplative space in which (we hope) they may experience an atmosphere of calm.

A catalogue documenting the process leading up to and throughout the course of SPIRIT ROOM will be published following the close of the exhibition. This will be the first publication created in conjunction with Butcher Gallery.

As the nature of SPIRIT ROOM is fluid and demands habitation for growth, impromptu events throughout the course of the exhibition, as well as a closing reception on 15 August 2010, will be scheduled. Check Butcher Gallery's website for upcoming SPIRIT ROOM happenings.