Join celebrated experimental transgender artist Cassils for an in-person conversation with AGO Assistant Curator, Canadian Art, Renata Azevedo Moreira. Cassils’ work Advertisement: Homage to Benglis was recently acquired by the AGO, being the first work by the artist to enter a public art collection in Canada. Beyond the identity-informed aspect of their practice, CASSILS will talk about their new formal experiments and innovations in the field of dance, body art, and performance art. 

Cassils (born in Toronto, 1975; based in New York) is a Canadian artist who makes their own body the material and protagonist of their performances. Cassils' art contemplates the history(s) of LGBTQI+ violence, representation, struggle and empowerment. For Cassils, performance is a form of social sculpture: Drawing from the idea that bodies are formed in relation to forces of power and social expectations, Cassils' work investigates historical contexts to examine the present moment. Cassils is an Associate Professor in Sculpture and Integrated Practices at PRATT Institute.