LET'S MAKE THIS UNCOMFORTABLE - PANEL DISCUSSION

Saturday, June 26, 4 - 6 pm

What are the roles and responsibilities of the artist in inciting and managing social interactions between strangers? Can experiences of social interaction be translated to viewers through the medium of video? In response to the exhibition This is uncomfortable, a panel of discussants will address these questions and more as we explore ideas of discomfort, vulnerability and the emotional consequences of social interactions gone awry in lens based practices.

Panelists: Jon Davies is the Assistant Curator of Public Programs at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and critic whose writings focus on film and video based practices. Sharon Sliwinski is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario and explores photography’s connection to issues of human rights. Kika Nicolela is a participating artist in the exhibition whose work is tied to issues of vulnerability. Matthew Ryan Smith is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Western Ontario whose research and writing explores autobiography and confessional practices.

Moderators Arpi Kovacs and Gabrielle Moser (co-curators of the exhibition)