Queer Frontiers

The London Ontario Media Arts Association presents their second event in the Queer Frontiers series!

Jess MacCormack’s work will be presented across various platforms, including a week-long video screening on LOMAA’s Vimeo page, a series of animated gifs on the LOMAA Instagram, and a discussion between MacCormack and Rebecca Casalino with a Q&A to follow!

This event is presented by London Ontario Media Arts Association in partnership with Femme Art Review, which will host a review of MacCormack’s new book “SHAME SHAME, go away” by Casalino.

Please send a message to cnegus@lomaa.ca with questions on accessibility or viewing.

Video Screening:
Monday April 19 to Sunday April 25, 2021
Available for public viewing through Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/lomaa
Accessibility Note: Closed Captioning available
Content Note: Discussion of police violence against Indigenous and trans people

Animated Gifs:
Tuesday April 20 to Saturday April 24, 2021
Available for public viewing through Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/l.o.m.a.a/

Jess MacCormack in Discussion with Rebecca Casalino:
Sunday April 25, 2021 at 3pm EST
Available for public viewing through Zoom
Pre-registration required and link provided through Eventbrite confirmation
https://www.eventbrite.com/.../queer-frontiers-jess...
Accessibility Note: ASL Interpretation and Live Captioning available
Content Note: Discussion includes descriptions of suicide, mental illness, and sexual abuse

Jess MacCormack, "WHERE WE WERE NOT, PART I: Feeling Reserved, Alexus' Story," 2011
"This is the first part of a four part experimental animated documentary I am working on about criminalization in Canada. Having worked for the past five years on art projects with marginalized and criminalized individuals, I am interested in sharing some of their stories and insights. Many women find creative ways to survive, their stories illuminate the strength and courage these women show as well as the oppressive conditions that define them.
"Women are the fastest growing prison population world wide and this is not accidental. In Canada, we recognize that the now globalized destruction of social safety nets -- from social and health services to economic and education standards, and availability is resulting in the increased abandonment of the most vulnerable, marginalized and oppressed."
The law is intended to protect society from harm and create social order. Used as a method for controlling behavior and maintaining social norms, it is often produced so as to appease the masses with concepts of safety and security. In most western countries prison populations, as compared to outside populations, reflect disproportionate representation of racially discriminated groups. This extension of systematic racism is entrenched in the legal systems and purpose of prisons."

Jess MacCormack - Their practice engages with the intersection of institutional violence and the socio-political reality of personal trauma. Working in various mediums, from installation and video to community art, their art explores queer politics, mental illness, embodiment and criminalization.

Rebecca Casalino is an artist, writer and curator based in Hamilton, Ontario (Treaty 3) on the land of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe First Nations people. She is a queer Italian-Canadian settler, maintaining her practice through deeply personal collaborations in her community and sheer willpower. Her art practice is currently focusing on drawing and multiples. Casalino has also previously worked in video, performance, sculpture, and installation. Casalino completed her BA in Studio Art, with a minor in English, at the University of Guelph in 2017. She co-managed VS Studios from 2017-2018 running numerous social practice projects. Casalino's curatorial and research practices are based in queer theory and artists’ multiples. Casalino recently graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design University with an MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice.

LOMAA’s Queer Frontiers critically reflects on Canada’s 50th anniversary celebration of the purported “decriminalization” of homosexuality in the country. Serving as a counter to the state revelries, LOMAA will host 8 artists, artist duos, or curators who have established practices post-legislation and remain on the frontiers of Canadian queer media. This project centres queer narratives and praxis as a means to interrogate historical representation and continue fortifying queer futures within this country.

For more background information please visit: https://anti-69.ca/

Femme Art Review (FAR) is a publication that provides space for both women and LGBTQ2+ voices. This platform aims to reflect on art and culture in a dynamic, accessible way that aligns with everyday life. The acronym FAR seems quite fitting, since there’s still a far way to go to reach equality, especially in the art and culture realm. By embracing diversity, Femme Art Review seeks to highlight emerging voices across Canada and internationally. https://femmeartreview.com

London Ontario Media Arts Association (LOMAA) is a regional, emerging non-profit, artist-run organization focused on the exhibition of alternative and experimental time-based and media art. With an emphasis on progressive contemporary Canadian practices, LOMAA supports the presentation of local, national, and international artists in the areas of moving images, performance, new media, and sound art. www.lomaa.ca

LOMAA would like to thank Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and London Arts Council for their support of this program and their continued backing.