In the Studio

Alanis Obomsawin tells another story.

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1 Residential schools were government sponsored religious schools created by Christian churches and the Canadian government as an attempt to both educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into Canadian society beginning in the 17th century. The schools disrupted lives and communities, separated children from their families, languages, and cultures, and caused long-term problems among Indigenous peoples. The last residential school closed in 1996.

Interview conducted for Art21 in May of 2025 by Max Levin. Original photography for Art21 by Jodi Heartz and Alex Blouin. All other photography courtesy the artist, MoMA PS1, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Max Levin is an artist and curator based in New York City. He organizes programs at the Emily Harvey Foundation, and his writing appears in e-Flux Criticism, BOMB, MUBI Notebook, Screen Slate, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.