Untitled Portals, Variations as part of CAFKA.25
Untitled Portals, Variations as part of
CAFKA.25: Field Guide to the Understory
June 7 - July 26, 2025
Cambridge Centre for the Arts, Cambridge ON
& online
Untitled Portals, Variations presents a series of collages, an installation piece, and a virtual space by Laura Kay Keeling as part of CAFKA.25 Field Guide to the Understory. Through a process-centered approach, the artist experimented with and merged analog and digital processes to expand on an earlier series, Untitled Portals.
These pieces incorporate natural elements that have been photographed both digitally and on 35mm film, scanned using a flatbed scanner and a 3D scanner, digitally manipulated, and then brought into physical form. Continuing a dialogue between the natural and digital world, the work explores connections to where we find ourselves, the incredible and important ecosystems that surround us, and the joys that can come from everyday moments of being in and engaging with our surroundings through reciprocal care and respect.
How can we maintain and evolve connections to the natural world in an increasingly isolating and technology-dependent society?
Can virtual spaces be used to encourage folks to take pause and explore, and can moments of joy and excitement be replicated in these virtual environments?
Untitled Portal 06 - Untitled Portal 12 + Didactic Panel image descriptions:
Listen to image descriptions - starting at Untitled Portal 06, moving left to right.
Listen to image descriptions - starting at the Didactic Panel, moving right to left.
Untitled Portal 06
Digital collage of a white stone archway with sparkly blue water inside. The archway is surrounded by light blue, dark blue, and greeny brown water elements that flow above and to the side. Below is a grid pattern that includes different water elements, colours and textures.
Untitled Portal 07
Digital collage with trees and leaves creating a repeating pattern. A grid creates a pattern along the bottom and right-hand side that includes many different tree and leaf patterns and textures, with three pieces of bark layered on top in the bottom right-hand side.
Untitled Portal 08
Digital collage of pink, orange, purple, and white flowers with green leaves and gold bees scattered about. A grid comprised of unique floral and natural elements creates a frame around the outside of the image. A piece of gold honeycomb sits in the bottom right-hand corner.
Untitled Portal 09
Digital collage with a grid background filled with natural elements and textures. Four bunches of gold florals are layered on top in the center with one small gold bud in each of the four corners.
Untitled Portal 10
Digital collage of white and pink flowers with green leaves in the center. Monarch butterflies sit to the left and right with blue sky in the background. A grid creates a frame around the outside of the image and defines unique squares of floral and natural elements within it.
Untitled Portal 11
Digital collage with a stone-shaped wooden object surrounded by green grass, yellow dandelions, and different coloured shiny mushrooms. A grid runs along the bottom and left-hand side, which includes different natural elements and textures.
Untitled Portal 12
Digital collage with concrete shapes and bricks with small stones stacked on top of each other. An old baseball sits on top of a piece of concrete above a grid pattern with gold flowers on either side.
Didactic Panel
Digital collage with a shiny gold background that includes the exhibition title Untitled Portals, Variations, and Laura Kay Keeling across the middle. A patch of green leaves, white flowers, and dandelions is placed at the bottom of the image next to a QR code and an assembly of sponsor logos.
Learn more and explore the virtual environment here.
Explore the virtual environment on STYLY.
Experience a guided tour of the virtual environment with captions and audio descriptions.
About CAFKA
CAFKA – Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener + Area takes art outside of the gallery and presents it in public places to foster community connections, record our stories, and enjoy the common spaces we all share. Artworks featured in CAFKA.25: Field Guide to the Understory can be found across Waterloo Region from June 7 - July 26, 2025.
About Tangled Art + Disability
Tangled’s mandate is to support Disabled, D/deaf, chronically ill, neurodiverse, k/crip, mad, sick & spoonie artists; to cultivate Disability Arts and Disability culture in Canada, and to increase opportunities for everyone to participate in the arts. We do this by:
• Developing, showcasing, promoting, and employing Disabled artists;
• Fostering partnerships and collaborations that increase opportunities for Disabled artists
• Empowering Deaf, Mad, and Disability-identified people to embrace and explore their own creativity;
• Publicly showcasing the rich diversity of talent from the Disability Arts community.
About Sky Fine Foods
Sky Fine Foods is a rejuvenating experience, concerned with ecologies, inclusion, simulation, screens, and realities. An experimental project space representing international contemporary and other artists; with new ideas, new processes, and new methods.
Located at https://www.skyfinefoods.com, @skyfinefoods, in Art Gate VR, and occasionally elsewhere.
About Cambridge Centre for the Arts
The CCA is a municipally operated community arts centre that enriches and engages area residents, artists and organizations through the provision of quality artistic experiences and opportunities that stimulate, promote and support the arts in Cambridge. The CCA encourages participation and inspires an appreciation for the arts.
Cambridge Centre for the Arts
60 Dickson St
Cambridge, ON
N1R 8N1
Website
Special thank you to the City of Cambridge, Ontario Arts Council, and Government of Ontario for supporting Untitled Portals, Variations.
Image Descriptions
01: Digital collage of white and pink flowers with green leaves in the center. Monarch butterflies sit to the left and right with blue sky in the background. A grid creates a frame around the outside of the image and defines unique squares of floral and natural elements within it.
02. A collection of sponsor logos. Line 1: Ontario Arts Council Logo, Ontario Government Logo, City of Cambridge Logo. Line 2: Cambridge Centre for the Arts logo, CAFKA Logo, Tangled Art + Disability Logo, sky fine foods Logo.