The Tangled Art + Disability opening reception of “Flourishing: Somehow We Stay Attuned” took place on Friday, September 7th in Toronto. Nearly 100 people were in attendance to explore this inaugural exhibition of the “Flourishing” series, to hear the artists describe their work, and to listen to Executive Vice-President Krista Carr deliver remarks on behalf of Inclusion Canada and the Federation.
“Flourishing” is the first portion of Inclusion Canada’s “Promoting Human Flourishing in the Context of Medical Assistance in Dying” project to make its way to the public. The project was designed in response to Canada’s June 2016 passing of the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) legislation. Inclusion Canada worries about oversight and regulations, and particularly what choices might be made when MAiD is mixed with societal stereotypes.
“Flourishing: Somehow We Stay Attuned” is the first of four exhibitions that make up the “Flourishing” artistic series, featuring the work of seven artists who have various disabilities from across Canada. The opening exhibition featured the works of Peter Owusu-Ansah, Sarah Ferguson, and Salima Punjani. Each artist uses their work as a springboard for us to challenge our understandings of bodies, both our own and those of others.
Inclusion Canada invited Tangled Art + Disability to explore the idea of flourishing from the perspective of Disability-identified artists, to spark conversation around the themes of frailty and flourishing, and ultimately, the value of human life. Our motivation for the project is to enrich and grow Canada’s social imagination. Although MAiD legislation is the context as a whole for the project, the artists were not asked to take a position on MAiD in Canada, but were asked to expand our understanding of what it means to flourish.
The “Flourishing: Somehow We Stay Attuned” art exhibition is free to the public and runs from Friday, September 7 to October 19, 2018 at Tangled Art Gallery S-122, 401 Richmond St W, Toronto.
Our partners of the “Promoting Human Flourishing in the Context of Medical Assistance in Dying” project are:
● Adjacent Possibilities
● The Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society (IRIS)
● UBC’s Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship
● Catherine Frazee and Ryerson University
● Tangled Art + Disability
The project is funded by the Government of Canada through our partners at Employment and Social Development Canada.
Stay tuned to learn more about the other branches of the “Promoting Human Flourishing in the Context of Medical Assistance in Dying” project as it unfolds by continuing to visit our website.
