THE WEDGE LECTURE

Featuring Tyler Mitchell and Liz Ikiriko 

Thursday, June 18, 2026

U of T: 1 Spadina, Daniels Faculty

$15

SUPPORTED BY:

The Wedge Curatorial Fellowship is supported by TD Bank Group

Tyler Mitchell

“Across his portraits and still lifes, the subjects of Tyler’s photographs appear to inhabit a world of his own brilliant creation, shaped by themes of memory, nature, community, and freedom.”

- Anna Wintour

Liz Ikiriko

"There is a sense of seeking in photographs of Black subjects by Black photographers; a search for visual cues that, when found, have the power to present the world from a familiar, loving perspective."

- Liz Ikiriko

The Event

Across Black life, play has been a tool for testing freedom and expanding beyond what has been given. What becomes possible when play is understood as a way of rethinking the world around us?

Presented by Luminato Festival and Wedge Curatorial Projects, The Wedge Lecture brings together artists and thinkers whose work is shaping contemporary culture and critical discourse. In its third season, we welcome artist, photographer, and filmmaker Tyler Mitchell and artist-curator Liz Ikiriko to discuss visual culture and the transformative power of play. 

Mitchell’s work reimagines Black life through images of play, beauty, intimacy, and self-possession. Across photography, film, and installation, he draws on memory and history to create pictures that feel both rooted in the past and oriented toward possibility.

Based in Toronto, Liz Ikiriko‘s curatorial practice is intimate and relational, unveiling the beauty and resilience found in community. Ikiriko is the curator at Gallery TPW and was on the curatorial committee of the Bamako Encounters Photography Biennale (2022) and, has taught at Toronto Metropolitan University and Sheridan College.

Together, Mitchell and Ikiriko will engage in a wide-ranging conversation on the histories, strategies, and processes that inform their work through the lens of Play, Luminato Festival’s 2026 theme. Audience Q&A to follow.

For Additional Events in the Community CLICK HERE

Run time: 75 Minutes

Location: U of T: One Spadina, Daniels Faculty
Access Measures: An Access Guide and Venue Guide are available HERE 

To find out more information, please contact our Access Concierge, Emily Maxwell, at access@luminato.com
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