David is an artist who has evolved in a significant way, touched on so many serious issues. The intersection of technology in our own lives, technology in our bodies, how technology is starting to transform us. ‘Videodrome’, a film made 30 years ago and before cell phones was prescient. Cronenberg is constantly challenging us about how the world is evolving.

Noah Cowan, Artistic Director for TIFF Bell Lightbox has personally overseen this exhibit. The premise of the exhibit is the idea that David Cronenberg is a new Charles Darwin. Looking to the future of how humans will evolve, how we will hunger to see the next stage of human evolution. This exhibition is designed to take you through David Cronenberg personal journey as a filmmaker as he conceives of the idea of human evolution in different ways. In the beginning there is all the body horror, how the body changes, parasites, things that are really visceral, really physical. In The next sections of the exhibit you see different sorts of evolution: capsules, casts and special objects, things designed to enclose the people in the movie ‘Crash’; the mugwomp and the sex blob from ‘Naked Lunch’. There are all sorts of odd creations from people’s imaginations. The movie ‘eXistenZ’ lives within that video game world, well before its time, and we see all of the odd objects that are created within this video game universe.

Moving to David Cronenberg’s more recent films like ‘Eastern Promises’, tattoo kits, special costuming, and very specific locations show us how to resuscitate human beings in a new social environment, a new structure but one still recognizably our own.

Be the first in line for this amazing show. Look for our next update on additional TIFF activities including an online game, online museum and full roster of David Cronenberg movies with special guests slated for the TIFF BELL Lightbox this November.

Moira Romano