Suneil Sanzgiri “An Impossible Address” at Mercer Union, Toronto

Marking the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition in Canada, the exhibition features a new film by the same name: “An Impossible Address”, the 10th project developed through Mercer Union’s trailblazing Artist First commissioning platform. Haunted by questions of disappearance, loss, and revolutionary struggle, the film continues Sanzgiri’s examination of the life of Sita Valles and the bonds of solidarity that developed between India and Africa against the Portuguese empire.

“Arriving at our 10th Artist First commission underscores Mercer Union’s dedication to supporting artists in creating new and experimental work,” says Theresa Wang, Director & Curator of Mercer Union. “The commissioning platform has enabled us to champion Canadian and international artists alike, facilitating first-time Canadian institutional presentations of works that have gone on to flourish through tours, exhibitions, and screenings. Presenting Suneil Sanzgiri’s “An Impossible Address” is a significant milestone in many regards. For Sanzgiri, it represents an opportunity to expand his audiences and explore new contexts for his work. For Mercer Union, it aligns with our mission to introduce Canadian audiences to compelling artistic practices that speak to the pressing issues of our time.”

“An Impossible Address” is a kaleidoscopic and sonically vibrant journey shot on location in Angola, Goa, and Portugal, that combines Sanzgiri’s signature visual language of 16mm film with digital animation, hand-processing, 3D scanning, and archival translations. The film is conceived as a letter to Valles, whose figure haunts Sanzgiri as he pulls at historical threads that expose contemporary expressions of empire and anti-colonial struggle today.

The film is presented within an installation that references the 1955 Asian-African Conference, the first significant gathering of states from the two continents held in Bandung, Indonesia, and remembered today for the novelty of the endeavour as well as its theatricality. The installation features monochromatic, abstracted flags made of acoustic felt, representing the 29 nations that were present at the conference, and invites viewers of the film to take up seven red seats—in a nod to the central panel that chaired the conference.

“Raw and surging with questions, An Impossible Address (2025) is a film that wades into the profound irresolution of disappearance and death amidst liberatory struggle,” says Aamna Muzaffar, Curator & Head of Exhibitions at Mercer Union, and the curator of Sanzgiri’s exhibition. “At a time when our social, civic, and political worlds are in a state of accelerated erosion, Canadian audiences of contemporary art and experimental film know that critically engaged and socially relevant artworks enrich the public discourse needed in our communities.”

at Mercer Union, Toronto
until June 14, 2025