Rest-Oration

A slow conversation between Victoria Stanton, Coral Short and twinkle looking at the pedagogical—and revolutionary—role of rest, pause, refusal, slowness, care, and “doing nothing” within contemporary artists’ time-based works and the parallel social justice implications of integrating slow philosophies in the post-secondary studio art classroom.

Audience members will be part of research-in-action, while also invited to enjoy the discussion and participate in a Q&A. 

This event is part of Stanton’s research for her PhD in Art Education at Concordia University and will be recorded for research purposes. For more information on the collection of this research, please reach out to Victoria Stanton directly.

How can you participate? Join us in person or online by registering for the Zoom Meeting or watching live on YouTube.

Have questions? Send them to info.4@concordia.ca

Victoria Stanton

An artist, researcher, curator, and educator Victoria Stanton places observation and dialogue at the centre of her performative works. She has co-authored two books (Impure, Reinventing the Word, conundrum press, 2001, with Vincent Tinguely, and The 7^th Sense/Le 7^e sens, SAGAMIE édition d’art, 2017, with the TouVA collective), published texts on the performative in material and time-based practices, and has presented performances, infiltrating/relational actions, exhibitions, and videos in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Cuba. A 2018 recipient of the PRIX POWERHOUSE, Stanton is a SSHRC-funded Canada Graduate Scholar pursuing a research-creation PhD in Art Education at Concordia University focusing on rest, slowness and doing nothing in art world contexts and everyday spaces like the (art) classroom.

Coral Short

Coral Short (they/them) is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and queer community leader creating spaces for slow healing in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal and beyond. Born in 1973 on lək̓ʷəŋən territories, their life journey weaves together artistic creation, activism, and community building.Through eco-somatic nature immersion and somatic workshops, Coral guides participants toward embodied rest and nervous system regulation. Their trauma-informed approach centers marginalized communities, honoring diverse bodily experiences. Coral's practice nurtures both personal liberation and community resilience, creating compassionate containers where healing unfolds across individual and collective dimensions.

twinkle

Ryan ‘twinkle’ Backer is an activist, writer, and educator living in Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyang, colonially known as Montréal, Québec. twinkle is perpetually fascinated by time and our relationship to it, and they work to raise awareness of the universal nature of aging, and undoing ageism within an intersectional context. They’re a white, witchy, non-binary ‘old person in training’ and co-creator of the Old School Hub for age equity & ageism awareness. When they’re not working, they like to deepen their meditation practice, strengthen and uplift the queer community which surrounds them, and explore nature with their adventure cat, Fitz.