Defying The Margins With Christopher Cozier

This project was generously supported by The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation- Global Experience Project. You can find out more HERE

This studio seminar course brought selected upper-level undergraduate OCADU learning artists into dialogue with world-renowned Trinidadian artist, writer and curator Christopher Cozier during a two-week residency at Alice Yard in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.

In his notebook drawings, prints, video installations, public actions, and writings, Cozier addresses issues of Western colonialism, the Anthropocene, labour and migration — among others — from the perspective of the Caribbean, defined in his work as space rather than a place. At Alice Yard the cross-disciplinary cohort from OCAD U examined Cozier’s extensive practice and created artworks that engage with similar socio-political themes. Participants created works that were grounded in critical inquiry. They used various artistic research methods, including community-focused and land-based approaches, academic literature review, archives mining, etc.

In October, Christopher Cozier visited Toronto to continue his work with the students and OCAD U community. OCAD U held two exhibitions featuring a solo show of Christophers work at Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora, and a student exhibition at Ada Slaight Galleries co curated by Madalyn Shaw and Madeline Collins. Students also got to hear Christopher Speak in conversation with esery Mondesir at the AGO's Jackman Hall.