{"id":124868,"date":"2026-06-04T16:10:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T20:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=124868"},"modified":"2026-06-04T16:10:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T20:10:32","slug":"interview-curators-byron-armstrong-ilene-sova-talk-angels-speak-love-opening-june-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/06\/04\/interview-curators-byron-armstrong-ilene-sova-talk-angels-speak-love-opening-june-11\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Curators Byron Armstrong & Ilene Sova Talk About When Angels Speak Of Love, Opening June 11"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
A Couple Minutes | Marker, coloured pencil, pastel and pen on paper by artist Ojo Agi (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Byron Armstrong<\/strong> and Ilene Sova<\/strong> of Armova Curatorial have put together a multimedia show titled When Angels Speak of Love. It\u2019s based on a book by cultural critic bell hooks<\/strong> titled All About Love: Radical New Visions (2000).<\/p>\n

The late bell hooks (1952\u20132021) was a groundbreaking author, feminist theorist, cultural critic, and educator. Her work focused on intersectionality with respect to race, gender, class, and love. All About Love: New Visions is still one of her most widely read publications.<\/p>\n

In the last chapter of the book, hook talks about reimagining Western society\u2019s concept of love as a \u201ccombination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust\u201d. Love is active, a kind of discipline, and a way of seeing the world that becomes a vital foundation for both justice and healing.<\/p>\n

The group exhibit will be on view from June 12, 2026 through June 28, 2026<\/strong>, with a public opening reception on June 11<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"L:
L: Artist Elyse Ricketts (Photo courtesy of the artist); R: between thresholds, oil on canvas (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Byron Armstrong & Ilene Sova: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Byron Armstrong and Ilene Sova lead Armova Curatorial<\/strong>, a collaborative curatorial practice. Marginalized artists are at the centre of their work, focusing on cultural memory, diaspora, and contemporary creative life in all its facets. They emphasize storytelling through their curatorial efforts at galleries, festivals, and public institutions, and look to create spaces where artists, audiences, and cultural workers can come together.<\/p>\n

Both Byron and Ilene were familiar with the book long before they thought to put together the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn’t something that we had been thinking about for a length of time,\u201d Armstrong explains. \u201cI think it’s more about the world itself that had us thinking about this book. There’s wars, and rumours of wars, and the shifting global order that we’re living in,\u201d he continues. \u201cI think there\u2019s a sense of anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the duo were considering what show to put together next, the book came to mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say the book has a deep history with our partnership,\u201d says Sova. She says she gave it to Byron on their third date. \u201cI want you to read this book,\u201d she told him.<\/p>\n

She had found it transformational. It changed her views of both personal relationships and community in general.<\/p>\n

When he got back to her on their next date, he\u2019d already highlighted parts of the book to discuss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to prove that I actually read it,\u201d Byron laughs.<\/p>\n

Ilene calls it a foundational text. \u201cWe often refer to that book now that we’re parents as well.\u201d She points out the notion of community when it comes to parenting, something that current North American society actively discourages.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I think when we were considering our next exhibition, we wanted to think about this idea of community and connection,\u201d Sova says. It\u2019s putting something positive into the zeitgeist, a way of considering how to live through difficult times.<\/p>\n

\"Artist
Artist Ojo Agi (Photo: Aaron Clarke)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Artists<\/h3>\n

The show takes those ideas and puts them into visual forms. \u201cWe wanted to focus on exactly what we’re talking about. There\u2019s all these layers of love,\u201d Byron says. As he notes, the family unit is the first community that we all know. \u201cThat’s your very first experience of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith regards to instructions,\u201d Armstrong says, \u201cfirst of all we had to ask all of our artists if they’d read that.\u201d The duo sent out passages from the book to prospective artists, and asked them to send work that related to the concepts described in some fashion.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome artists wanted to create new work based on those passages,\u201d Ilene says. \u201cWe definitely curated in the sense that we already had a list of artists.\u201d They drew on those they felt would come up with interesting and relevant work.<\/p>\n

Featured artists<\/strong> include Natia Lemay<\/strong>, Veronica Dorsett<\/strong>, Eddion Whyms<\/strong>, Elyse Ricketts<\/strong>, Suzan (Destinie) Ad\u00e9lakun<\/strong>, Ojo Agi<\/strong>, Anthony Gebrehiwot<\/strong> aka TonyXTones, and Steven Schmid<\/strong>. Their work in painting, photography, sculpture, and textile arts interprets the theme in various ways, including self-love, healing and care, grief, friendship, domestic relationships, and collective liberation. They respond in their own medium to the idea that love is the path towards liberation from the systems that oppress, whether that be racism, sexism, classism, or simple loneliness.<\/p>\n

Those quotes from the book will be posted on the walls of the gallery between the art works, so the audience can refer to them as well.<\/p>\n

Selecting the pieces for the show was an individual process.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnthony Gebrehiwot<\/strong>, he is a photographer from Toronto,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cWe were talking about works we saw that spoke to the book.\u201d Gebrehiwot was one of the first artists he and Sova thought of. \u201cOne of the images is two black men in an embrace. A lot of what about love deals with is patriarchy and the erasure of feelings. That embrace between two men shows the breaking down of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilene mentions Elyse Ricketts<\/strong>. \u201cI would say Elyse Ricketts, she’s an emerging artist,\u201d Sova says. She explains that they like to put together the work of both established and early career artists in their shows, developing a kind of conversation between their pieces. \u201cElyse Ricketts work is all about that kind of intimacy.\u201d It often revolves around the notion of feminine autonomy in relationships, and the fact that women still feel repressed when it comes to expressing their true sexual feelings and desires.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer work is about those very intimate and quiet moments in a women’s romantic life. Her work is really intimate in that way,\u201d Ilene says.<\/p>\n

Natia Lemay<\/strong> is an established artist. \u201cHer work is about family dysfunction,\u201d Sova says. hook\u2019s book talks about the failure of the nuclear family as a concept, where small families are isolated in their homes, and no one outside the tight circle of parents and children is supposed to be involved. There\u2019s no sharing of experiences, and no broader sense of community to draw on for support.<\/p>\n

\u201cNatia’s work is about what really happens when a family is not thriving,\u201d she says. Children are neglected, or worse. \u201cHer work is about those memories. She kind of sees them all as self portraits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lack of community when it comes to parenting leads to issues that go beyond the nuclear family itself. \u201cEveryone should be caring for children,\u201d Ilene says. \u201cWe should be able to share wisdom with one another, and look out for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

She points to capitalism and its constant demands as a root cause of that breakdown. \u201cIt has failed families, and it has failed children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCapitalization, colonization \u2014 certainly, all those things intersect,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cOne of the thing that hooks is clear about is that you don’t own your children. It\u2019s a foreign concept that causes problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"L:
L: Artist Natia Lemay (Photo: Gesi Schilling) | R: Cowboys Cry, Oil on Canvas, 2025 (Artist: Natia Lemay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Show<\/h3>\n

The exhibition includes a mix of media and approaches, a range of practices that revolve around the same idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a rule, we don\u2019t curate based on a practice,\u201d Armstrong explains. \u201cIt’s not a situation where we think, okay, we need eight painters. We need eight sculptors. We think about a concept and a theme, and we display [relevant works of art].\u201d<\/p>\n

He notes that many of the artists were surprised at the approach. They\u2019ve gotten together with all of the contributing artists at a meet and greet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt our last show, one of the things I heard a lot was that this feels like community,\u201d Byron says. Typically, artists work alone, and the contributors welcomed the community atmosphere. \u201cAnything that brings people together as a community \u2014 that’s a success. That’s what we want people to walk away with.\u201d<\/p>\n

That goes for audiences as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like this show will be a really reflective space,\u201d Ilene adds. She\u2019s hoping audiences will be inspired to think about love in their own lives, and how they can create and transform their own notions of love and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s even love of self,\u201d she points out. Artist Ojo Agi\u2019<\/strong>s work, for example, revolves around the idea of self-care.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the pieces are very quiet and intimate,\u201d Sova says.<\/p>\n

The audience will be able to get involved in various ways. \u201cI have to mention that MakeRoom is coming in as an activation partner,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cWe plan on also activating the space. We want to share the space with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

MakeRoom Inc<\/strong>. will be organizing a range of activities. \u201cCuratorial tours, discussions, artist talks. We hope to bring in [various] groups,\u201d Ilene explains, \u201chaving people talking and not just looking at the art.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"L:
L: Artist Anthony Gebrehiwot (Photo courtesy of the artist); R: From Boys to Men (6). Photograph (mounted on Sintra) Models: Jordon Campbell, Zubaida Zang (Photo: Anthony Gebrehiwot)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Exhibition Details<\/h2>\n

The exhibition will be on view from June 12, 2026, through June 28, 2026<\/strong>, with an opening reception on June 11, 2026<\/strong>, at 2104 Dundas Street West<\/strong>, Toronto from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Throughout the exhibition, the public will be invited to participate in programming related to the exhibition theme through dedicated tours and an exciting activation in partnership with MakeRoom Inc.<\/p>\n