Rouzbeh Akhbari: Of Wool and Diesel at Mercer Union

Mercer Union presents Of Wool and Diesel, Rouzbeh Akhbari's first institutional solo exhibition in Canada. The Toronto- and Lisbon-based artist, filmmaker, and geographer turns five years of fieldwork into a film installation that follows sheep smuggled by speedboat through the Strait of Hormuz — informal trade, maritime lawlessness, and a supply chain with echoes back to 17th-century Portugal.

The show runs from late September into mid-December 2026 at Mercer Union (1286 Bloor St W), with an opening reception Friday, October 2 from 7–10 p.m. Admission is free. This is the gallery-crowd counterpart to Akhbari's debut documentary feature Crossings: Kaleh Ziyarat (2026) — come for the installation if you want the gallery-scale version of the research.

Bloor West / Dovercourt is an easy subway stop away. Check mercerunion.org for visiting hours; openings get busy, weekday afternoons are quieter for sitting with the film work.