Exhibition

Melissa Johns

Here I Stand, Still Guarded, 2022

Virtual Reality

Here I Stand, Still Guarded uses virtual reality as an experimental means of preserving the lived experiences of French-Canadian and Kanien’keha:ka diaspora. Set in the intimate space of a living room, the simulation is filled with multigenerational voices and shifting temporalities. By translating sentimental belongings into 3D assets, Johns continues to add to the work as a living archive. As “guests” in this constructed home, viewers are invited to explore a range of continually shifting objects and furniture pieces, listen to family stories, and reflect on their own relationships with Canadian culture.

Melissa Johns is a Toronto-born and -based visual artist and educator from a mixed Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk, Turtle Clan) and French-Canadian background. Specializing in virtual reality installations, digital painting, and video, Melissa’s work centers on investigating the narrative potential of these emergent channels to collect, preserve, and transform fragments of the stories around her.