From first life on Earth to species on the brink: ROM’s 2021 schedule features major exhibitions and a groundbreaking new gallery
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Press Release
TORONTO, December 1, 2020—2021 is set to be a landmark year for the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) with the opening of a brand-new permanent gallery—the first of its kind in North America—and an extraordinary lineup of exhibitions. Spanning art, culture, and nature, next year’s exciting lineup of presentations promises to captivate and inspire, while expanding our understanding of the world around us. Please note: the ROM is temporarily closed in accordance with the directive of the Province of Ontario. All dates below are subject to change.
2021 Gallery and Exhibition Openings
Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life (November 2021):
Tracing the epic story of life’s origins on Earth four billion years ago, this dramatic new permanent gallery is the first and only one of its kind in North America. The Willner Madge Gallery, which encompasses 10,000 square feet of space, explores early life through some of the world’s best-preserved and scientifically important specimens in a rich and immersive multi-media environment. ROM experts have assembled one of the world’s largest collections of early life fossils over the past century, revealing an extraordinary evolutionary record that stretches from the first sparks of life to the emergence of dinosaurs and mammals. The gallery will feature over 1,000 of these fossils—many of which will be on display for the first time—originating from all across Canada, including British Columbia’s renowned Burgess Shale in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. The newest major gallery to open at the ROM since in a decade, the Willner Madge Gallery promises to deepen our understanding of evolutionary life for generations to come.
Elias Sime: Tightrope (April 3 to July 4, 2021):
Contemporary Ethiopian artist Elias Sime explores the precarious balance between technological innovation and environmental destruction in Tightrope, a series of 28 intricately woven artworks presented for the first time in Canada exclusively at the ROM. As co-founder of the ZOMA Museum, the sole contemporary art museum in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, and winner of the 2019 African Art Award at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, Sime is a leading figure in the international art world. He has earned global recognition for visual compositions that question our relationships with one another and the natural environment. In Tightrope, Sime’s colourful tableaus compose salvaged electronics as new forms of meaning, delivering timely messages about human connection, ecological sustainability, and the ever-present tensions between nature and technology. This exhibition is organized by the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York.
Into the Deep: A Tale of Three Whales (June 26, 2021 to January 3, 2022):
Great Whales are evolutionary marvels, cultural icons, and the largest animals on Earth. They are also critically endangered and need our help. This ROM-original exhibition takes visitors on a deep dive into the unique biology, ecological importance, and mysterious lives of three majestic species in the Canadian Atlantic—the North Atlantic right whale, the blue whale, and the sperm whale. Human activity looms as the largest threat to their survival, making conservation efforts more urgent than ever before. Into the Deep shines a light on the plight of these social and emotional creatures, and helps visitors forge a genuine connection to, and empathy for, these underwater giants. Featuring newly acquired, awe-inspiring skeletons and immersive, multi-sensory experiences, Into the Deep is the next chapter in the incredible journey that began with 2017’s Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story.
Continuing in 2021
Wildlife Photographer of the Year (through to May 2, 2021): Now in its 56th year, this acclaimed international photography competition from the Natural History Museum, London, features striking images of the natural world—from fascinating animal behaviour to wild landscapes. This year’s showcase includes four breathtaking entries from Canada.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic (through to January 17, 2021): Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this whimsical and heart-warming exhibition examines the origins, creation and enduring legacy of the classic stories by A.A. Milne and illustrations of E.H. Shepard.
Egyptian Mummies: Ancient Lives. New Discoveries (through to March 21, 2021): Featuring advanced CT scanning techniques, 3D images, over 200 extraordinary objects, and six mummies, this exhibition from the British Museum is a rare look at life on the Nile 3,000 years ago.
The Cloth that Changed the World: India’s Painted and Printed Cottons (through to September 6, 2021): this original exhibition presents the ROM’s world-renowned collection of Indian chintz to the public for the first time in 50 years, alongside the companion installation Florals: Desire and Design.
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Image Captions and Credits:
1. Illustration of Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life © Reich & Petch Design International.
2. Elias Sime. Tightrope 8, 2009–14. Reclaimed electronic components on panel, 44 1/16 x 70 13/16 in. (112 x 180 cm). Private collection, New York. © Elias Sime. Photograph by Adam Reich Photography.
3. Right whale breaching
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ABOUT THE ROM
Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.
