ROM to celebrate Inuit art, song and dance with TUSARNITUT! Music Born of the Cold

Discover the diversity of the arts of the Arctic

TORONTO, March 28, 2023 – Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is delighted to present TUSARNITUT! Music Born of the Cold from May 20 to September 24, 2023, an ode to Inuit musical expression that transcends time periods and geographic boundaries. Showcasing the creativity of a range of visual artists, musicians, dancers and performers, this exhibition will offer a panorama of artworks inspired by the vital role of music in Inuit culture. Spanning centuries of Inuit life, TUSARNITUT! reveals the breadth and diversity of musical expression in the visual and performing arts of the Arctic.

“For anyone who wants to feel and appreciate the organic quality of Inuit culture this exhibit delivers,” says Tim Johnson, guest curator of TUSARNITUT! “What results is a compelling experience that harmoniously combines the poignancy of Inuit visual arts aesthetics with the drama and joy of the sounds of Inuit music.”

TUSARNITUT! (which translates literally as “sounds that please the ear”) will offer visitors a rare chance to experience the art forms that developed throughout Inuit Nunaat (the lands inhabited by Inuit), an area that spans Alaska, Canada, Chukotka, Greenland, and Siberia. Shared across these lands, the two prevalent musical genres of qilaujjaniq (drum dancing) and katajjaniq (throat singing) will be prominently on display throughout the exhibition.

“Featuring an array of dynamic sounds, sculptures, prints, and paintings, TUSARNITUT! Music Born of the Cold explores the convergence of music and visual art at the heart of Inuit culture,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director and CEO.

The exhibition will feature over one hundred sculptures, prints, drawings, and installations themed around music by renowned artists including Karoo Ashevak, Mattiusi Iyaituk, David Ruben Piqtoukun, Kananginaq Pootoogook, Jessie Oonark and Niap (Nancy Saunders), among others. The artworks will be presented alongside an array of instruments, photographs, musical recordings, and archival footage allowing visitors to further appreciate the richness of Inuit musical traditions across the ages.

“Music and dance are fundamental to Inuit life,” says Justin Jennings, ROM Senior Curator of Archaeology of the Americas and co-curator of TUSARNITUT! “We are honoured to be able to share the work of these great artists.”

TUSARNITUT! will present a variety of musical styles, from the earliest recorded forms of musical expressions to the remarkable work of contemporary artists who are reimagining these traditions for present day audiences. To complement the exhibition, a series of dynamic musical performances will allow visitors to experience some of the most compelling performers working today. Further details about the featured artists and schedule of performances to follow.

ᑐᓴᕐᓂᑐᑦ TUSARNITUT! Music Born of the Cold is included with general admission to ROM. Members will have the opportunity to preview the exhibition on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Image credit: Napachie Pootoogook (1938-2002), Untitled (Kattajjaq Performers and Women Sitting), 2000, felt-tip pen, coloured pencil on paper mounted on cardboard, 38.8 x 60.4 cm. Collection of Jean-Jacques Nattiez. © Reproduced with the permission of Dorset Fine Arts. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest.

An exhibition organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

An exhibition curated by Jean-Jacques Nattiez, ethnomusicologist and Professor Emeritus at Université de Montréal, and Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk, Curator and Mediator of Inuit Art, MMFA, in collaboration with Charissa Von Harringa, Curatorial Associate, MMFA.

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CONTACTS: 

ROM Communications 
General inquiries: media@rom.on.ca 
For further information: Sophie von Hahn, Senior Publicist, svhahn@rom.on.ca 

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ABOUT ROM  
Opened in 1914, ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the world and across the ages. Today, ROM houses more than 13 million objects, from Egyptian mummies to contemporary sculpture, from meteorites to dinosaurs. ROM is the most visited museum in Canada and one of the top ten museums in North America. It is also the country’s preeminent field research institute, with a diverse range of experts who help us understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future. Just as impressive is ROM’s facility—a striking combination of heritage architecture and the cutting-edge Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, which marks the Museum as an iconic landmark and global cultural destination. 

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