Satellite Project Space

Newly online for SATELLiTE: In Orbit, Katelyn Halter reviews “Grounding: States of Gender.” This recent exhibition if work by Gita Hashemi was curated by Soheila Esfahani for the artLAB gallery. Katelyn writes:

There is a temporary but obvious obstacle to most viewers when first entering the space: the language barrier. The majority of those who view this piece likely do not speak Persian, much less regularly read Persian calligraphy enough to understand what is written on these scrolls. Hashemi, however, has a remedy for this. Tucked away in a small, rectangular alcove to the right of the space is a small coffee table surrounded by cushions. Laid upon the coffee table are three booklets, within them being direct English and French translations of the calligraphy written on the scrolls. It was upon reading the 30 page translation that I truly learned how impactful this work was. The auto-ethnography is raw and unfiltered. Its contents are graphic, but not for the sake of the viewer’s shock or discomfort. It is documentation of gender-based violence and abuse in its purest form: a first-hand account spanning decades of Zahra’s life. […]

After reading the translated auto-ethnography I was left with a dull, lingering ache in my chest. I was crushed by the experiences Zahra was forced to undergo, but I knew it didn’t just end with her. Her experience is, unfortunately, not uncommon, and that was what made that pain in my chest linger. This exhibition shines a light on the ugly reality that remains so prevalent worldwide, but that so many refuse to acknowledge fully. Not only is the viewer of Hashemi’s work stunned and made uncomfortable by this transcribed account, but they are almost forced to bask in it.
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Read Katelyn’s full review online (link in bio). .esfahani .halter

Images: Gita Hasemi, “Grounding: States of Gender,” artLAB, documentation by Dickson Bou.

Newly online for SATELLiTE: In Orbit - Katelyn Halter reviews “Grounding: States of Gender,” a recent exhibition of work by Gira Hashemi curated by Soheila Esfahani for artLAB gallery. Katelyn writes:

Located in Western University’s artLAB gallery, Grounding: States of Gender was a remarkable exhibition featuring a hauntingly beautiful large-scale body of work that reproduced the autoethnography of Zahra, an Iranian woman and victim of gender-based violence.

The initial creation of Grounding (the live-streamed 8-day durational performance) in February of 2017 is largely attributed to the and movements, both of which gained substantial popularity around the world— the latter especially in Iran.

When the viewer enters the gallery in which Grounding: States of Gender (2026) is presented, they are immediately immersed in the space. Hung on the walls are 22 massive scrolls that almost span floor to ceiling in height and are decorated in red and black Persian calligraphy. What is written in this calligraphy is a direct reproduction of an autoethnography written by a woman named Zahra. The small portions of red calligraphy are excerpts from the text that impacted Gita most upon her reading of it. There are only a few excerpts on each massive scroll that are this brilliant shade of red, making them stand out when compared to the rest of the calligraphy that is written in black ink. A large video is projected onto the floor in the centre of the exhibition space. This video plays on loop, and documents the first three days of the aforementioned initial creation of Grounding. The video plays at 2x the normal speed and displays Gita meticulously painting the calligraphy of the first six scrolls.

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Read Katelyn’s full review on our website (link in bio). .halter .esfahani

Images: Gita Hashemi, Grounding performance. Photo credit: Justin Wonnacott. Gita Hashemi, Grounding States of Gender, artLAB Gallery, documentation by Dickson Bou.

New online for SATELLiTE: In Orbit - Katelyn Halter writes a curatorial review for At the Edge: Revolution and Ommatidia. Learn about what happened behind the scenes for both exhibitions. Katelyn writes…

At the Edge: Revolution (ATER) featured four artists: Joshua McKee, Meghan Dennison, Diana Delsooz, and Leidy (Tatiana) Navarrete Restrepo. The exhibition was presented in the Cohen Commons, John Labatt Visual Arts Centre from the 9th to the 29th of January, 2026, with its opening reception taking place on the 8th from 4-6pm. The significance of this exhibition, in my opinion, was the theme it revolved around: political uncertainty and a hope for a brighter future.

This was my first curatorial experience. Prior to ATER, the most I knew about curating an exhibition was that I’d be responsible for where and how each artwork would be situated in my given exhibition space. Looking back on this exhibition, I can say that there are most definitely a few things that I’d do differently. However, I am quite proud of how it turned out overall, and very thankful to the four artists who enabled me to make my first exhibition happen.
halter

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My name is Katelyn Halter, and I am a 21 year old 4th year student at Western University. I am in the Visual Arts program at Western University and hope to graduate with an Honours Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a specialization in Studio Arts, and a minor in Art History.

With the social and political climate of today being the way that it is, I believe that self-expression and freedom of speech are of utmost importance. Expression through art is deeply personal, and has the ability to transcend conventional language barriers in a way no other form of media can. It was a great privilege to curate, co-curate, and attend the exhibitions I discussed. I encourage anyone who is able to do the same; visit local exhibitions, support small artists, and perhaps even make art of your own.

Read Katelyn’s full curatorial review on our website (link in bio).

Images: At the Edge: Revolution. Documentation: Dickson Bou, artLAB Preparator. Department of Visual Arts; Western University

Photographer spotlight: Choongho Park (she/her)
vistoworks.ca
Visualizing the Scent (2026)

Choongho Park moved to Canada in 2017 after spending sixteen years working in corporate strategy and public relations in South Korea. Park’s professional background in communication led her to photography, where she found the means to build a visual story in a creative context. Her practice centres on communicating product identity through its tailored composition, where she takes a particular interest in displaying the characteristics of familiar products. Working in still life and macro-photography, Park aims to convey the mood of each product she photographs.

Statement written with Maya Allison

Ommatidia: Fanshawe Advanced Photo Student Showcase is on view at TAP Centre for Creativity until February 23. View the full exhibition publication on our website (link in bio).