LUMINOUS BODIES art residency
Gibraltar Point Art Centre, Toronto Island
Facilitator: Teresa Ascencao
Dates: September 16 to 30, 2024
Luminous Bodies is a two-week residency to create artworks that shed new light on the human body. Its objective is to challenge “normativity” and Otherness. Its goal is to reinvent and re-present the body in most inclusive and diverse ways. Resident artist talks, gallery tours, visual and textual references, guest artist talks, and regular critiques (individual with Facilitator and group critiques) help uncover how our bodies are culturally and aesthetically constructed, displayed and controlled. Residents work individually or collaboratively to create artworks that reinvent the body through media of their choice, such as photography, video, installation, drawing, painting, performance, installation, sound art, movement art, media art, etc. There will be a closing exhibition of artworks created during the residency (if preferred, artists may show in open studio fashion). The essence of Luminous Bodies is about bringing to light heterogeneous bodies. It welcomes people in all walks of life into a creative journey of critical innovation and self-discovery. People with disabilities, BIPOC, and people of diverse genders and ages are encouraged to apply. The residency is open to international artists from any country.
Gibraltar Point Art Centre is an artist retreat centre nestled against the magnificent natural backdrop of Toronto Island. It offers a distraction-free environment to focus on art creation, and a rich potential for the creation of corporeal artworks amongst its blue-flag beaches (one of them being clothing optional) and natural surroundings of Lake Ontario, forests and gardens filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables. On the island, there are tiny quaint homes, a historic lighthouse, a hobby farm and antique carnival grounds. Cozy up in a furnished studio and bedroom, and enjoy amenities such as a fully equipped common kitchen, shared bathrooms, laundry facilities and wireless Internet. The art centre aims to have as minimal barriers as possible and promotes an inclusive environment. The Toronto city core is just a 15-minute ferry ride away.