Partly inspired by Hanya Yanagihara\u2019s To Paradise<\/em> and its storytelling of multiple timelines interconnected through a singular setting, this exhibition takes on the chronological stories of Spadina House\u2019s inhabitants and pairs them within the contextual rooms of the house. Its conceptual approach is both a literal progression as the viewer travels upwards and a metaphorical reflection of real lived experiences, ones that fill the historical site with humanity and a sense of connection within disjointed narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exhibition begins in the basement where two works are tucked away in the archeological dig sites of the Museum\u2019s fieldstone foundation. The Shattering<\/em> and Orpheus, Twice<\/em> are enclosed within dimly lit brick ruins where both pieces illuminate the space through shards of broken glass. The former captures the fragmentation of a disco ball; mimicking ideas of shattered vessels found in creation stories by reflecting fragments of light across the room. The latter continues ideas of fragmentation while incorporating one of the first historical stories of Spadina House, that of Robert and Eliza Baldwin\u2019s tragic romance. Tackling themes of longing in death and physical devotions, Orpheus, Twice<\/em> beautifully embodies the artistic process and its connection to mending what was once broken.<\/p>\n\n\n The Shattering, 2026, mirror, solder, copper, stainless steel, 28″ Diameter. Courtesy of the artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Led by a museum guide to the first floor of the home, we are educated about the Austin family and their stories as they occupied Spadina House for most of its existence. Among them being Albert Austin, who contracted tuberculosis and sadly died at a young age, bringing a looming emptiness to the family house. As the centerpiece of this floor After – Breath<\/em> acts as a reliquary where shattered glass and decaying flowers reflect the body\u2019s inability to withstand expectations, pondering the weight of both the body and of the social obligations that follow with living such a lavish lifestyle. Positioned near an ornate drawing room, this piece hauntingly reminds us of the fragility of our own physical core while embracing the ephemeral nature of the living.<\/p>\n\n\n Installation view with After – Breath, 2026, Glass, Uv Print on Glass, Solder, Steel Tin Coating, Flowers, 71″x71″x 12″. Photo: Marina Diolaiti <\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon reaching the second floor, we instantly feel a sense of imposition as we are guided through the private bedrooms of past occupants. Tiber<\/em> greets us in a small seating room near the main bedroom where its colourful shattered fragments reflect through the warmly lit window onto the quaint furniture, evoking the stained-glass techniques of gothic cathedrals. In this work, Van Der Hout flips the story of Narcissus into a tale of affirmation and reflection on one’s innermost self while telling the story of a contemporary historian who serendipitously found their way to the museum through an innate desire to collect old antiques. While the work is smaller in presence and tucked within the quiet atmosphere of the main lady\u2019s bedroom, Tiber<\/em> is a beautiful ode to the present and the many stories that Spadina Museum continues to create.<\/p>\n\n\n Tiber, 2026, UV Print on Glass, Steel, Antique Mirror, Solder, Copper, Wood, 16″ x 47″x 6″. Courtesy of the artist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we reach the third and last floor of the house, we enter the servants\u2019 quarters and additional bedrooms, which all carry a sense of emptiness in the faded original wallpaper and in the antiquated practices of keeping household servants. As we discretely walk through each room, we are eventually faced with an empty sun filled space where Open Wing Death<\/em> transports us through its reflective interior housed by hundreds of moths and butterflies. The hexagonal dome fully immerses us into Van Der Hout\u2019s fictional future where organisms take over restoration efforts, completing the natural cycle of decay and rebirth. Through its reflections, the work immerses us within multiple perspectives of the family\u2019s unrestored bedroom and acknowledges the temporality of such a fragile historical site.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/artoronto.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Shattering.webp\")
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