Fragments of mirrored glass gather light in an evocative dance at Toronto’s historic Spadina Museum. The 1866 mansion now hosts In Broken Light, an exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Ry Van Der Hout. Running until October 18, this show transforms shattered glass into contemporary art.
Transformation Through the Artist’s Vision
In Broken Light offers fresh perspectives on family lore through intricate sculptures. Curator Adrien Sun Hall states, “Shattering isn’t the end; it’s a new narrative start.” The artist deliberately breaks glass, reassembling the pieces with Tiffany stained-glass techniques, making the fractures metaphors for transformation.
For more on blending art with personal narratives, explore Jen Lewin’s Ursas Sculptures which use reclaimed materials for creative expression.
The art exhibition features five sculptures across four stories of the museum, combining photography, stained glass, and mirrors. Inspired by conversations with spiritual leaders and family descendants, the artworks draw on histories of the former residents, revealing stories from forbidden love to illness.
In the basement, a fractured disco ball rotates to a NASA audio track, casting a mosaic of light onto stone walls. Upstairs, a piece of stained glass art imprinted with photos of Tiber, a museum interpreter, has been shattered and reassembled from a reclaimed antique dressing-table mirror holder.
The artist reflects, “It felt like an object guiding me, confirming I was in the right place.”
The centerpiece, Open Wing Death, is a 12-foot-high geodesic dome on the museum’s unrestored third floor. Added in 1913 as a sanctuary for a tuberculosis-stricken resident, this room later housed domestic staff, to whom the artwork is dedicated. The mirrored facets momentarily transform viewers’ reflections, offering a glimpse of themselves as seen by others.
To see innovative use of glass in architecture, visit Chang Hao Studio’s Mirrored Pavilion in Shanghai’s urban landscape.
In Broken Light is on view at Spadina Museum in Toronto until October 18, showcasing how shattered glass reframes forgotten histories with newfound clarity.
Source: design-milk.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the name of the exhibition at Spadina Museum?
The exhibition at the Spadina Museum is called ‘In Broken Light.’
How does Ry Van Der Hout create the sculptures?
Ry Van Der Hout creates the sculptures by deliberately breaking glass and reassembling the pieces with Tiffany stained-glass techniques.
Until when is the exhibition In Broken Light running?
The exhibition In Broken Light is running until October 18.