February 16 – April 24, 2015
Artists Allyson Mitchell and Deirdre Logue co-founded the FAG Feminist Art Gallery in 2010. They have described FAG as “political pot-luck, free-schooling, backyard screening, axe grinding, directed reading, protest sign making, craft den, incantation, herbal tea and gluten-free muffin top artist talk sensation.” FAG is based in Toronto and also spins in satellite spaces internationally. In order to build community to grow sustainable feminist/queer art, FAG has enabled art exhibitions, provided opportunities for emerging and invisible artists, collaborated with big institutions like SFMOMA and Tate Modern and partnered with artist run centers like Whippersnapper (Toronto), Access Gallery (Vancouver) and Artist's Independent Archive (Singapore).
The residency began with the installation in the R. Samuel McLaughlin Gallery of CAN'T/WON'T (2012), a set of four protest banners that read:
WE CAN'T COMPETE
WE WON'T COMPETE
WE CAN'T KEEP UP
WE WON'T KEEP DOWN
With these slogans, FAG asks: “Why would you want to be a winner in this hierarchal structure?” and “How do we both resist and reconcile our participation in this oppressive system?” These questions become central to their residency at the Art Gallery of Ontario, offering opportunities for rich discussion with both gallery visitors and the gallery team.
FAG also advocates for the Feminist Art Collection, and while at the AGO they will research alternate collection models towards the development of a Feminist Art Fair International (FAFI).
