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Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art Mercer Union is an artist-run centre featuring Canadian & international works

📸 Documentation is now online for our current exhibition, Of Wool and Diesel, on view in the gallery until 23 January. O...
10/19/2026

📸 Documentation is now online for our current exhibition, Of Wool and Diesel, on view in the gallery until 23 January.

Of Wool and Diesel (2026) is a film installation expressing a latent romanticism through poetic interplays of language, dramatic lighting, and experimental camera techniques. In the gallery, one encounters a horizon of postcards referencing 19th-century drawings from the British hydrographic survey of the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, and handcrafted namad—or felt works—produced with wool sourced from the same informal trade networks at the centre of the exhibition.

Visit out website to see more images: https://buff.ly/04YWs11

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Image: Rouzbeh Akhbari, Of Wool and Diesel, 2026. Installation view: Mercer Union, Toronto, 2026. Commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Vuk Dragojevic ()

Toronto Biennial of Art
Hangar
National Gallery of Canada
TD Bank Group
Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada
Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto
Camões - Portuguese Language Centre

We had a splendid afternoon earlier this month with Partners in Art (PIA), who joined us for a screening and walkthrough...
10/16/2026

We had a splendid afternoon earlier this month with Partners in Art (PIA), who joined us for a screening and walkthrough of Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel.

Rouzbeh led us through the ideas and process behind developing his latest commission, which brings together his layered research interests from the last five years.

Rouzbeh received support for Of Wool and Diesel through PIA’s Artist-Direct Program, which provides funds directly to artists to cover supplies, studio rentals, exhibition expenses, and production costs.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to PIA for joining us, their leadership in championing contemporary visual arts, and their support that made this ambitious project possible!

đź“° Press Round-up! đź“° Responses from the first weeks of Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel have been incredible.Thank yo...
10/12/2026

đź“° Press Round-up! đź“°

Responses from the first weeks of Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel have been incredible.

Thank you to all who have visited, and the writers who have penned reviews of the exhibition in publications like like ArtReview, CBC Arts, and Observer.
All the articles can be found at the end of this post!

Of Wool and Diesel explores border landscapes and seafaring histories along the International North-South Transit Corridor:

Over five years, "Akhbari followed herders, dockworkers, drivers, money changers and sailors from the Caspian basin down to the Strait [of Hormuz], stitching the stories and impressions of each in expressive, dislocated cinematic passages. Useful timing too, as Canada finds itself in renewed trade conflict over what gets to cross its state lines, and how. It’s the destiny of borders, Akhbari’s work infers, to be made with steel while behaving like skin”

- Alexander Leissle, ArtReview

The exhibition is on view until 23 January, open 11am–6pm, Tuesday–Saturday.

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Of Wool and Diesel is the thirteenth project in Mercer Union’s Artist First commissioning platform and Rouzbeh Akhbari’s first institutional solo exhibition in Canada.

Of Wool and Diesel is organized by Mercer Union, Toronto, and co-presented with the Toronto Biennial of Art

Image: Rouzbeh Akhbari, Of Wool and Diesel, 2026. Installation View: Mercer Union. Co-commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art, Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art, HANGAR Centro de Investigação Artística (Lisbon), and the National Gallery of Canada’s National Engagement Initiative. Photography: Vuk Dragojevic.

Hangar
National Gallery of Canada
TD Bank Group
Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada
Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto
Camões - Portuguese Language Centre

ArtReview: https://buff.ly/GA9H57u
CBC Arts: https://buff.ly/S3y3uYj
Observer: https://buff.ly/ahSpgzi

A warm thank you to all who joined us last night to celebrate Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel.The exhibition is on v...
10/03/2026

A warm thank you to all who joined us last night to celebrate Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel.

The exhibition is on view through 23 January 2027. Mercer Union is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am–6pm, with special Sunday gallery hours on 18 October and 20 December, 11am–6pm.

Come experience this immersive and absorbing work for yourself đź’«

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Toronto Biennial of Art
Hangar
National Gallery of Canada
TD Bank Group
Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada
Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto
Camões - Portuguese Language Centre

Join us tomorrow, 2 October, 7pm for the public reception of Rouzbeh Akhbari’s exhibition Of Wool and Diesel. Organized ...
10/01/2026

Join us tomorrow, 2 October, 7pm for the public reception of Rouzbeh Akhbari’s exhibition Of Wool and Diesel. Organized by Mercer Union and co-presented with the Toronto Biennial of Art, this is Akhbari’s first institutional solo exhibition in Canada. The artist will be in attendance 🥂

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Hangar
National Gallery of Canada
TD Bank Group
Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada
Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto
Camões - Portuguese Language Centre

đź’«Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel opens this Saturday, 26 September and Sunday, 27 September as part of the Toronto B...
09/23/2026

đź’«Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel opens this Saturday, 26 September and Sunday, 27 September as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art

💫Join us next Friday, 2 October, 7–10pm for the public reception at Mercer Union.

Akhbari’s film installation considers border landscapes and their entanglements with seafaring histories. Set along the International North–South Transport Corridor, the work follows the smuggling of sheep from the Caspian littoral around Astara, Azerbaijan, through the Strait of Hormuz to the port of Khasab, Oman. Centring the minor figures along this journey, such as a shepherd, a smuggler, a historian, an underwriter, and a pair of lovers, the work unfolds through stories of survival and risk, desire and longing.

đź’«The gallery will be closed on 2 October to prepare for the public reception. RSVP via https://buff.ly/HqaOqpW , and learn more about the exhibition at https://buff.ly/39kAWld

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Of Wool and Diesel is organized by Mercer Union, Toronto, and co-presented with the Toronto Biennial of Art.

Of Wool and Diesel is commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto; the Toronto Biennial of Art; Hangar Centro de Investigação Artística, Lisbon; and the National Gallery of Canada's National Engagement Initiative.

Of Wool and Diesel is made possible with Leading Support from TD Bank Group and the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada

With additional support from the Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto, and the Camões - Portuguese Language Centre, Toronto.

This exhibition is presented as part of Artist First, a Mercer Union commissioning platform. For more information on Artist First, visit https://buff.ly/FHs87D7

The artist would like to acknowledge support from Partners in Art, the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, the Alserkal Arts Foundation (Alserkal Cultural Foundation) and the Canada Council for the Arts.

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Image: Rouzbeh Akhbari, still from Of Wool and Diesel, 2026. Courtesy the artist.

📢 ✨ EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT // Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel 26 September 2026–23 January 2027Opening Reception: F...
08/13/2026

📢 ✨ EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT // Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel

26 September 2026–23 January 2027
Opening Reception: Friday, 2 October 2026 at 7pm

Mercer Union presents Of Wool and Diesel, a solo exhibition by Rouzbeh Akhbari, in collaboration with the Toronto Biennial of Art. The exhibition features the artist’s first major international production, a film set in Portugal, Oman, Iran, and Azerbaijan.

In 2024, Mercer Union invited the artist to develop a new film installation for his first institutional solo exhibition in Canada. Titled Of Wool and Diesel (2026), the work follows the smuggling of sheep by speedboat within the Strait of Hormuz and considers the act as part of an essential transcontinental supply chain, a network of informal trade, and a history of lawless seas with ties to 17th-century Portugal. Co-commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada, the work will be Akhbari's first to enter its collection.

Of Wool and Diesel is the culmination of Akhbari's research and fieldwork over the last four years, developed alongside the artist's debut documentary feature, Crossings: Kaleh Ziyarat (2026), a counterpoint to the exhibition.

Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel is the thirteenth project developed through Mercer Union’s Artist First commissioning platform, and Akhbari’s first institutional solo exhibition in Canada.

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Of Wool and Diesel is organized by Mercer Union, Toronto, and co-presented with the Toronto Biennial of Art.

The exhibition is curated by Aamna Muzaffar, Curator & Head of Exhibitions, Mercer Union, and Allison Glenn, 2026 Curator, Toronto Biennial of Art.

Of Wool and Diesel is co-commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto; the Toronto Biennial of Art; Hangar Centro de Investigação Artística, Lisbon; and the National Gallery of Canada's National Engagement Initiative.

Of Wool and Diesel is made possible with Leading Support from TD Bank Group and the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada.

With additional support from the Consulado-Geral de Portugal em Toronto, and the Camões - Portuguese Language Centre, Toronto.

This exhibition is presented as part of Artist First, a Mercer Union commissioning platform. For more information on Artist First, visit https://buff.ly/0XQt90o

The artist would like to acknowledge support from Partners in Art, the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, the Alserkal Arts Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

–

Image: Rouzbeh Akhbari, still from Of Wool and Diesel, 2026. Courtesy the artist.

Thank you for joining us at MERCER REUNION last Friday. Bringing together nearly 100 attendees––founders, artists, staff...
07/17/2026

Thank you for joining us at MERCER REUNION last Friday. Bringing together nearly 100 attendees––founders, artists, staff, Board members, family, friends, and supporters across generations–– the event was a powerful reminder of the remarkable community that has shaped Mercer Union since 1979. As we look toward our 50th anniversary, it was inspiring to celebrate the people and relationships that continue to sustain our organization.

We're also delighted to share that, thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, MERCER REUNION not only unlocked the full $5,000 matching gift, but also exceeded its fundraising goal, raising $𝟭𝟮,𝟬𝟲𝟬.𝟴𝟴.

It was an unforgettable way to turn 47! Visit our website to view more event documentation.

Special thanks to our event sponsor, Paradise Grapevine, for hosting us.

Images: MERCER REUNION, 10 July 2026. Photo: Gabriel Li.

Help us close the MERCER REUNION match 🚀Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, every gift to our MERCER REUNION fundraisi...
07/08/2026

Help us close the MERCER REUNION match 🚀

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, every gift to our MERCER REUNION fundraising campaign is matched dollar-for-dollar—and we're in the final stretch to unlock the full $5,000 matching pool!

As Mercer Union marks 47 years, would you consider making a birthday gift? Every donation––no matter the size––brings us closer to our goal, and doubles the instant you donate.

👉 Head here: https://bit.ly/MercerReunion2026 to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT TODAY

🎉 This Friday, 10 July, Mercer Union turns 47 🎉
At our community homecoming social at Paradise Grapevine Winery (218 Geary Ave), enjoy complimentary light refreshments and drinks at the cash bar and connect with the people who have shaped our organization. We look forward to celebrating another year of Mercer Union with you!

đź“… Friday, 10 July 2026
⏰4–6pm (Birthday toast at 4:20pm)
đź“ŤParadise Grapevine Winery (218 Geary Ave)

🥂 Head here: https://bit.ly/MercerReunionHomecoming to RSVP for the celebration!

Our new SPACE billboard by Alize Zorlutuna is now on view. Surface Tension: To Comb [Tarak] is accompanied by a commissi...
06/27/2026

Our new SPACE billboard by Alize Zorlutuna is now on view. Surface Tension: To Comb [Tarak] is accompanied by a commissioned text by Joy Xiang.

Joy Xiang is a writer, editor, sometimes-performer living in Toronto. She is interested in shifting narrative forms between poetry, criticism, dance, and irreverence. She co-runs the monthly poetry night Mixed Metals with SK Hughes, has been editor at C Magazine since 2022, and works with The Vermin and occasional erotic zines.

Learn more about the project and read Joy’s text here: https://buff.ly/wgc34mj

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Alize Zorlutuna, Surface Tension: To Comb [Tarak], 2026. Installation view: Mercer Union. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Vuk Dragojevic.

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1286 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M6H1N9

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 6pm
Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm

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