Presented by SITEc PROJECTS and OBAD – The Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders, in partnership with Contemporary Calgary.
If art functions to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable, it could be said that Christmas does the opposite. Those of us with a comfortable existence invariably find joy through seasonal, familial get-togethers. However, those with few friends or marginal circumstances are more likely to be discomforted by expectations of social warmth and unaffordable excesses.
As an antidote to Christmas and its often-unreasonable demands, this exhibition tour promotes a sense of indulgence through an artful recalibration of societal “normalcy.” Rooted in a collective embrace of neuro-divergence, curator Dick Averns will offer a candid view of Perspectives From Within: a group show exploring lived experience of mental health.
Why panic over Christmas, shopping, or what to wear, when you can indulge in luxuriant paintings critiquing cosmetic panaceas, revealing a warts-and-all vision of anxiety confronting self-harm? Other artworks re-calibrate autobiography with videos of cancer recovery and candid family turmoil. And forget playing with doll houses, instead visiting Scenes From the Doll Hospital with its trappings of shock, shackling and morbid medication.
This event is free with normal gallery admission price. You won’t be asked to wear a name badge.