Where Will You Be When You Are Done Eating Our Food?
CreateSpace Public Art Forum 2022
An artistic response to the 2022 CreateSpace Public Art Forum, a national forum virtually convening participants who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), racialized, rural and/or youth with disabilities and between the ages of 18-25. Participants were presented with online talks themed around public art practices, studio tours by artist facilitators, a Keynote Event by artist Lori Blondeau, and opportunities to engage with fellow peers to inspire their final creations.
Project at a Glance
45
CreateSpace participants
10
artist facilitators
1
keynote speaker
Artist Statement
My piece, “Where Will You Be When You Are Done Eating Our Food?” depicts two disabled humanized frogs, one with a walker and another with a cane, but their image is mostly blurred out. The artwork physically being on a golden plate represents the idea of society taking the
labour, or so-called “food” of disabled people and their image, and once done, leaving a messy blurry mess of food scraps left on the plate for disabled people to handle and clean up. It showcases the inequity that disabled people face on a regular basis, with a childhood simplicity. The idea of an otherwise happy and cheerful image of disabled people is in the forefront, but once their disability and access needs are required, the image of them becomes blurred, in particular to their mobility devices and their bodies. It brings into question the idea of taking and tokenizing marginalized groups and questioning what we should do as a society to allow marginalized people such as the disabled community to be heard and able to create food, while simultaneously being able to eat alongside their non-disabled peers.
About the Artist
Vincy Lim
Vincy Lim is a Chinese-Canadian non-binary sapphic disabled illustrator and award-winning cartoonist whose work revolves around the themes of self-love, queerness, disability, and abuse. Through graphic memoirs and fictional stories grounded in the realities of today’s marginalized groups, Vincy produces works that emphasize loving yourself, healing, and the recovery process.
As a recent escapee of abuse and attempted murder, Vincy wishes to highlight the ability to move onwards and feel content with one’s life despite their past or current situation. Vincy strives to create artwork that speaks on behalf of those who cannot, that tells the stories of those who live in hiding and in fear and let them know that there is hope and happiness at the end of it all.
@kiwimii | vincylim.format.com
CreateSpace Public Art Forum
STEPS Public Art believes public art has the ability to challenge the systemic inequities that exist in public space. In support of this important work, we facilitate artist capacity building programs that foster inclusive public art practices, build the capacity of underrepresented artists, and demonstrate how public art can help reimagine equitably designed cities.
CreateSpace Public Art Forum is a digital forum that virtually convenes participants who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), racialized, rural and/or youth with disabilities and between the ages of 18-25. This forum fosters connections, builds understanding across geographies and cultures, as well as provide emerging equity-seeking artists with the skills, relationships and support needed to develop public art practices. Visit the online gallery to view all artistic responses by the 2022 forum participants.
CreateSpace Public Art Forum is supported by Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts and CIBC.
