OTTAWA.- From June 12 to September 20, 2026, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) presents Qillaniq, a groundbreaking exhibition devoted entirely to contemporary artists from the circumpolar Arctic region. Featuring more than 80 works of art by more than 70 artists, Qillaniq marks the largest circumpolar exhibition ever assembled, shattering expectations and redefining global contemporary art.
The exhibition’s title, Qillaniq (pronounced qeel-lah-NEEQ) is an Inuktitut word describing the way light from the sun or moon shimmers brightly as it reflects on water. This powerful concept serves as a metaphor for the “shine” of circumpolar Indigenous Peoples resisting colonization, maintaining their deep connection to the land, and using art to bring the extraordinary into everyday life.
“While the global gaze often fixes on the Arctic through a lens of crisis and geopolitical urgency, Qillaniq enters this moment differently,” said Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO, NGC. “This historic exhibition does not ask permission to exist in the present tense—it insists on it. Following the legacies of Sakahàn and Àbadakone, it is a profound privilege for the National Gallery of Canada to present a project of this scale, complexity and international ambition. It invites us to engage with the Arctic as a living, thinking and generative space. We are deeply grateful to the all-Indigenous curatorial team and participating artists whose vision, intellectual rigour, and creative force highlight how contemporary Indigenous art is shaping global cultural dialogues.”
“Qillaniq is a landmark moment for the National Gallery of Canada, bringing together the most expansive collection of circumpolar Indigenous works ever mounted. Grounded in years of deep relationship-building across the Arctic, this exhibition is an expression of radical joy and a celebration of 'badass' artists who challenge colonizing norms. In these fraught times, as the Arctic faces climate change and geopolitical upheaval, these incredible Inuit, First Nations, Sámi, and Native Alaskan artists remind us of the power of kinship. Their voices are courageous, bold, and revelatory—showing us that even in the face of difficulty, artists will always guide us toward that shimmering light,” said Steven Loft, Michelle LaVallee, and Reneltta Arluk, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization management team at the NGC.
“Qillaniq is a powerful reminder of how art carries culture and connection, across generations,” said Robyn Small, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. “At TD, we’re proud to support the National Gallery of Canada in creating space for artists from Indigenous communities to share their stories in their own voices, and to bring more people into that experience.”
Breaking the “Museum mould”
Curated by an all-Indigenous international team from the circumpolar world, Qillaniq rejects rigid institutional traditions in favour of an improvisational, multidisciplinary approach that honours living artists. The exhibition functions as both a vessel and a body, allowing visitors to experience an interconnected, fluid Arctic world where art transcends modern geopolitical borders—stretching seamlessly across Alaska, Inuit Nunaat (Inuit), Sápmi (Sámi), and Denendeh (Dene).
The curatorial team is comprised of:
Jocelyn Piirainen (Inuk), an urban Inuk and curator from Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut, Associate Curator, and Ooleepeeka Eegeesiak (Inuk/qallunaaq), an Inuk/qallunaaq born in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Curatorial Assistant, both from the Indigenous Ways and Decolonization Department at the NGC;
and guest curators:
Liisa-Rávná Finbog (Sámi), Sámi scholar, duojár, writer and curator from Oslo/Vaapste/ Skánit, Sápmi, on the Norwegian side of the border;
Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi (Alutiiq), art historian, museum consultant and author based in Kachemak Bay, Alaska;
Taqralik Partridge (Inuk) writer, spoken word poet and curator originally from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC, now living in Ottawa; and
Laakkuluk Williamson (Kalaaleq - Greenlandic Inuk) performance artist, poet, actor, curator, storyteller and writer. Lives and works in Iqaluit.
The participating artists represent a rich tapestry of cultures, including the Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, Sugpiat, and other northern Indigenous Nations, united in a fierce celebration of Arctic and Indigenous sovereignty.
Qillaniq spotlights internationally renowned voices, including Maureen Gruben (Inuvialuk), Billy Gauthier (Inuk), Viktor Iadne (Nenets), Jouni Laiti (Sámi), Bolatta Silis-Høegh (Greenlandic), Krystle Silverfox (Northern Tutchone), and Ningiukulu Teevee (Inuk).
“Qillaniq is an expression of radical joy, an exploration of what the artists tell us is possible in our communities, of holding space for people who change our world—despite not always fitting into the norms of colonizing institutions. It is a celebration of those that share love as an answer to difficulty. These artists are at the forefront of the global contemporary art scene,” said the curatorial team. “Qillaniq, that shimmering on the water, that bright light honours the circumpolar world’s badass artists that tell us all that our existence is enough.”
A monumental North American debut and new commissions
The works celebrated in the exhibition are multi-vocal, multidisciplinary and improvisational, inspired by values of Indigenous Peoples contributing to community as many ways as possible. They are blending intergenerational legacies with cutting-edge media to command the world’s attention.
Visitors will engage with an expansive variety of media, including drawing, print, painting, video, installation, sculpture, and performance art.
In a monumental moment for the international art community, Máret Ánne Sara’s iconic installation, Pile o´Sápmi Supreme (2017), will make its first-ever appearance in North America, offering a profound and challenging exploration of Sápmi rights.
The exhibition will also debut eight newly commissioned works created specifically for Qillaniq.
