This year, ACI shot for the stars and landed on the moon. ACI’s Norval Morrisseau: Life & Work by Carmen Robertson was selected for the #LunarCodex project, joining the works of thousands of creators from 262 countries and 149 Indigenous nations in an otherworldly time capsule. The capsule completed its journey in early March, landing on the moon’s southern polar ice cap, preserving 250,000 cultural artifacts and artworks on an encoded gold nanofiche disc. This extraordinary initiative honours the cosmic vision of Norval Morrisseau (1931–2007) and extends ACI’s mission to share Canadian art and artists with audiences everywhere across time… and space.

We Will Never Be The 51st State

For decades, Canadian artists have examined this country’s complex relationship with its neighbour to the south. In 2025, in the wake of shifting political tensions, commentary on geography, national identity, and sovereignty has become strikingly relevant. On February 21, ACI engaged with the current political discourse in a timely newsletter on Canadian–American relations as envisioned by Greg Curnoe (1936–1992), including his vibrant tongue-in-cheek map America, July 1989 (above left). And on July 4, ACI marked the United States’ Independence Day with a newsletter in which the bold Message from Canada, 2025 (above right), by Gary Taxali (b.1968) appears among a selection of historical and contemporary works that demonstrate how Canadian artists use wit, colour, and conviction to respond to U.S. politics and rhetoric.

Read more in ACI’s We Will Never Be the 51st State: Canadian Artists Critique the U.S.A.

In March, ACI celebrated the storied careers of two artists whose work has helped shape Canadian contemporary art. Kent Monkman (b.1965) and Jin-me Yoon (b.1960), both featured in ACI’s Life & Work series, were the recipients of the 2025 Governor General’s Award, one of the country’s highest distinctions in visual culture. Known for challenging perceptions of identity, history, culture, and belonging, Monkman and Yoon have inspired younger generations to do the same. ACI is proud to have honoured their enduring influence in Kent Monkman: Life & Work by Shirley Madill (above left), and Jin-me Yoon: Life & Work by Ming Tiampo (above right).