Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art is delighted to present:
Transcendence
An exhibition featuring April Hickox & Shelia Spence
April 10 – May 20, 2026
Opening Reception | Friday, April 10, 2026, 7 – 10PM
Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art is delighted to announce Transcendence, an exhibiton featuring April Hickox & Shelia Spence. This exhibition presents Spence’s Lexicon for Loss series in tandem with Hickox’s Observance. Lexicon for Loss is a collection of images that began in early 2023. This exploration emerged from a deep personal loss and a move from the prairies to Vancouver Island. All the images were captured on a flatbed scanner in Spence’s garden in Sidney, British Columbia.
The Lexicon for Loss images draw inspiration from 17th-century floral paintings created by the Dutch Masters. Flatbed scanners, originally designed to copy two-dimensional objects like documents, have a shallow depth of field that is unsuitable for three-dimensional subjects. This limitation affects how highlights and shadows are rendered, producing a chiaroscuro effect similar to the lighting techniques used in Dutch Masters’ still life paintings. The resulting images resemble evocative floral still life. Upon closer examination, viewers will notice subtle details such as wilting flowers, imperfect leaves affected by garden pests, and the presence of insects within the compositions. Like the still life paintings of the 17th century, the Lexicon for Loss images capture themes of the passage of time and the impermanence of life.
Hickox’s Observance is informed by the history of floral photography and painting, moving beyond traditional still life with repetitive capture and grid works. Through this process the arrangements change and plants fade, while the vases remain ready to be filled again with fresh flowers for another day. Their presence offers countless possible narratives for the future while echoing past moments. This work begins to examine the notion of the best possible vantage point or frame and how an image can change depending on the viewer’s life experiences. Observance recalls the AIDS crisis and reflects on the pandemic. As we enter a new cycle of awareness, people who have made an impact on the artist’s life are also aging and reflecting on their experiences. Grief and healing shift over time and is an individual experience. Observance honours those who have passed and those who remain.
April Hickox was a Canadian lens-based artist, teacher and independent curator who lived on the Toronto Islands. Over the course of 37 years, April has mined the distinctions between personal and public sites through film, video, photography and installation. Her work with objects and the still-life are rooted in narrative histories that individuals accumulate through-out their lives and the ability of inanimate objects to shape memory. Hickox was the Founding Director of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, and a founding member of Tenth Muse Studio, and Artscape Toronto. For the past seven years she has been a member of the curatorial board of Art With Heart, Casey House. Most recently, April was an Associate Professor of Photography at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto.
Sheila Spence is a lens-based artist and activist. Over the years, her work has explored longing and belonging. For Spence, art has been a tool for self-exploration, enabling her to assess and process her personal values. Spence’s work is rooted in the belief that artistic practice can serve as a means for personal assessment and understanding. By engaging with her art, she can examine the core elements of her identity and the values that guide her life. Over the years, Spence has addressed a diverse range of topics in her work. These include queer politics, feminism, communities and connection, a sense of place, loss, and love. Each of these subjects is approached with honesty and authenticity, reflecting her commitment to genuine self-expression.
Acknowledgments
We are on Treaty 1 Territory. Plug In ICA is located on the territories of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the National homeland of the Red River Métis. Our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.
Plug In ICA extends our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors, valued members, and dedicated volunteers. We acknowledge the sustaining support of our Director’s Circle. You all make a difference.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council, the Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council. We could not operate without their continued financial investment and lobbying efforts.
Plug In ICA relies on community support to remain free and accessible to all, and enable us to continue to present excellent programs. Please consider becoming a member of Plug In ICA and a donor at https://plugin.org/support or by contacting Gilles Hébert, Interim Executive Director at executivedirector@plugin.org.
For more information on public programming and exhibitions contact info@plugin.org.
For general information, please contact: info@plugin.org or call 1.204.942.1043