What are the opening hours?

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

Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art

Home
Canada
Toronto, ON
Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art

Mercer Union is an artist-run centre featuring Canadian & international works

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.

–

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.

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.

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!

📅 Friday, 10 July 2026
⏰4–6pm (Birthday toast at 4:20pm)
📍Paradise Grapevine Winery (218 Geary Ave)

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

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

—

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

06/26/2026

CAFÉ SPRINKLE V: Sight at Mercer Union

🔵Friday, July 24 - Screening of Blue (1993) by Derek Jarman, 7 - 8:30 pm (doors at 6:30)

🔵Saturday, July 25 - Readings by Vida Beyer, Richard Fung, and Erdem Taşdelen, 7 - 8:30 pm (doors at 6:30)

Joys and Spool Oven invite you to Café Sprinkle 5: Sight, a two-part program. For this iteration of our series — which promotes new work written in response to a sensorial prompt — readers will reflect on sight. 👁️

On Friday, July 24, we present Derek Jarman’s Blue (1993). Jarman’s final film, Blue is a meditation on life and spirituality told through the prism of memory, sight and its slow departure. Created as Jarman was losing his vision due to AIDS-related complications, the film refracts grief, rage, love, illness, and dying through a field of blue.

On Saturday, July 25, we are beyond delighted to present an evening of readings by Vida Beyer, Richard Fung, and Erdem Taşdelen, focusing on and around vision in dialogue with Blue.

Tickets $10 - link in bio 🔗

Thank you to the team at Mercer for their support & hospitality. 💙🩵💙

06/16/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 🥂✨

On 10 July (our birthday!), join us at Paradise Grapevine Winery for our MERCER REUNION community homecoming social.

Whether you were there on Mercer Street in 1979 or just recently discovered the gallery, this is your chance to meet the people who shaped it. Grab a happy hour drink, enjoy light refreshments, and chat with us about Mercer Union’s programming, past and future!

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦:
📅 Friday, 10 July 2026 | 4–6pm
📍 Paradise Grapevine Winery (218 Geary Ave, Toronto)

Confirmed guests include:
+ Michael Balfe, artist, founding member
+ John McKinnon, artist, founding member
+ Peter MacCallum, the renowned documentary photographer who captured Mercer Union’s exhibitions from 1979 through 1996
+ Friends and family of the founding members
+ Current and past Mercer Union staff and Board of Directors

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳, 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴!

💥 𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡 is a special initiative that celebrates our organization's founding story. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, every gift donated through July 10 is matched dollar-for-dollar up to a total matching pool of $5,000. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed–your generosity is what carries us forward.

RSVP here: https://bit.ly/MercerReunionHomecoming and make a donation to the match here: https://bit.ly/MercerReunion2026

05/28/2026

We're thrilled to highlight a number of significant projects presented at the Venice Biennale of Arts by several Mercer Union artist alumni:

Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup, the Canadian National Pavilian

Lotus L. Kang: The face of desire is loss, the Bvlgari Pavilion

Lydia Ourahman: 5 Works, the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation

Lawrence Abu Hamdan: 450XL: The Story of a Fugitive Sound, Canicula — Fondazione In Between Art Film

Congratulations to the artists on their spectacular presentations, and to all the exhibiting artists at Venice 🥂 The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale of Arts, In Minor Keys, is curated by the late Koyo Kouoh and runs through 22 November, 2026.

—

Abbas Akhavan, Entre chien et loup, 2026, Canada Pavilion, 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Courtesy the artist and the National Gallery of Canada. Photo: Francesco Barasciutti.

Lotus L. Kang, The face of desire is loss, 2026, Bvlgari Pavilion. Courtesy the artist, Bvlgari, Commonwealth and Council, Franz Kaka, Kukje Gallery and Esther Schipper Berlin/Paris/Seoul. Photo: Andrea Rossetti

Lydia Ourahmane, 5 Works, 2026, Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation. Courtesy the artist and Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation. Photo: David Levene.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan, 450XL: The Story of a Fugitive Sound, 2026, Fondazione In Between Art Film. Courtesy the artist and Fondazione In Between Art Film. Photo: Marco Capelletti Studio.

05/22/2026

SPACE: Alize Zorlutuna
Surface Tension: To Comb [Tarak]
23 May—23 September 2026

In 2025-26, Mercer Union invited artist Alize Zorlutuna to develop a series of works over one year for the SPACE billboard commission.

To Comb [Tarak] is the final edition in Zortlutuna’s year-long series, titled Surface Tension. The work is accompanied by a forthcoming text by Joy Xiang.

“Tarak is the Ebru technique in which a comb is dragged across the surface of the water and pigment, rippling the colours in intricate designs. To comb is to tend, to untangle, to put into order what is unruly. It is to unknot, to separate, to thoughtfully and carefully pull something away from something else. With gentleness and discernment, we comb archives, memories, hair. Queering the gesture of combing earth and water, this edition uses Tarak in undulating waves and swooping curves that break with tradition, offering a form, a tending, that curves around unexpected corners.”

– Alize Zorlutuna

Learn more about the work here: https://buff.ly/vfPmQch

—

SPACE is Mercer Union's billboard commission. Through this platform, one artist is invited to produce a series of works for the building's east façade over one year.

Image: Production still, Alize Zorlutuna, To Comb [Tarak], 2026. Courtesy the artist.

05/19/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡: Celebrating our story 🥂✨

In 1979, twelve artists founded Mercer Union, an organization 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴:

Michael Balfe • Peter Blendell • Ric Evans • Peter Hill • Jamie Lyons • David MacWilliam • John McKinnon • Robert McNealy • Jaan Poldaas • Renée Van Halm • Joy Walker • Robert Wiens

Today, in collaboration with their friends, we are launching 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡—a special initiative to celebrate the founding story that continues to energize us.

✨ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲. ✨

Between now and our birthday on July 10, every gift is matched dollar-for-dollar thanks to a generous anonymous donor! Proceeds raised from this initiative will bolster the exhibitions, programs, and commitment to artists at the heart of Mercer Union’s mission.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://buff.ly/drKDFl4 🔗 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁!

++++++

🥂𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Friday, 10 July 2026
𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡, a community homecoming social.
Free + open to all. Stay tuned for details!

05/07/2026

Saturday is your last chance to view Alvin Luong: DEPHINITELY PARADISE. We wrap up the exhibition with a day of public programs:

2PM | Exhibition tour: Swing by for a free, drop-in tour led by Mercer Union staff

4-6PM | Artist Afternoons: Join us for our community social, hosted by Mercer Union Board member Emma Steen. Complimentary refreshments will be served–come as you are!

Celebrate with us and see the exhibition before it closes. You can register for Artist Afternoons here: https://buff.ly/SzglmWl

—

Alvin Luong, DEPHINITELY PARADISE, 2026. Installation view: Mercer Union, Toronto, 2026. Commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Vuk Dragojevic.

RBC
CONTACT Photography Festival

Address

1286 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M6H1N9

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+14165361519

Website

http://www.mercerunion.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Toronto?