À l'image — Takeover is a participatory art series in which, over two years, a group of young Montrealers intervenes and responds to Dazibao’s exhibition programming, collaborating with each other and their mentor, artist Veronica Mockler. Exploring various embodied and digital art practices, the youth develop a critical dialogue around our exhibitions, which among other things manifests online on our website over the course of the series. Conceived and led by Mockler, this work aims to invite the situated perspective of youth on a range of topics related to each exhibition such as futurity, mobility, labor, environmental crisis, anticolonialism, and posthumanism. Secondly, it aims to give youth professional agency in the arts, in the realization, representation and communication of their ideas. Seven young women between the ages of 13 and 21 answered to the invitation posed by À l'image — Takeover thanks to the support and promotion of the project by Black community mobilizers in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighborhood.

Meet the 7 collaborators

Adalyhia Stamp (b. 2008), is a secondary 3 dynamo, an aspiring marine biologist, and a part-time musician. She wishes to excel in school and her studies.

Destiny Gbaniyi (b. 2009) is a high school student at École La Voie in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges. She aspires to become a lawyer by day and a sculpture artist by night. For the time being, Destiny is focused on continuing to win her dancing and swimming competitions. You should know that Destiny is not very talkative when you first meet her.

Hunnayna Hemed (b. 2008) is a Tanzanian-born "overachiever" who loves helping people and learning new things. Her passions and hobbies include art, music, writing, basketball, badminton, and photography.

Isha Sheriff (b. 2006) is a 11th grader with a passion for art, baking, and basketball. She loves and is proud of her Sierra Leonean heritage because it is a little-known culture in Québec.

Kaymarie Sutherland (b. 2007) is all about being around people she loves. Dancing, music, trying new things, and learning are very important to her.

Kendra McDonald (née en 2008) is a half-Jamaican and half-Grenadian anime and manga enthusiast, specifically the show titled One Piece. She is naturally drawn to the arts, media, and storytelling.

Mei Gannon (b. 2000) grew up in the Little Burgundy community of Montreal. Known for her involvement as a Youth and Recreation Facilitator at Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre, Mei is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Concordia University. Her passion for helping those around her and her love for theatre led her to take Human Relations as a major, and Theater as a minor. In her spare time, Mei loves to indulge in creative projects.

Sanaa Bishop-Méus (b. 2005) is a young black artist from Montreal. Through painting, drawing and digital illustration, her work conveys the beauty of black women. The artist is interested in the representation of all shades, shapes and sizes of feminine Blackness. Sanaa's goal is to pursue a degree in Art and Business in Toronto.

Sasha Ferst (b. 2006) is a high school student who is contemplating a career as a nurse. Although she likes art, Sasha does not know if she would pursue it as her career. With the help of this opportunity, she hopes to open her mind to new possibilities.

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Meet the collaborators

Destiny Gbaniyi (b. 2009) is a high school student at École La Voie in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges. She aspires to become a lawyer by day and a sculpture artist by night. For the time being, Destiny is focused on continuing to win her dancing and swimming competitions. You should know that Destiny is not very talkative when you first meet her.

Isha Sheriff (b. 2006) is a 10th grader with a passion for art, baking and basketball. She loves and is proud of her Sierra Leonean heritage because it is a little-known culture in Québec.

Mei Gannon (b. 2000) grew up in the Little Burgundy community of Montreal. Known for her involvement as a Youth and Recreation Facilitator at Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre, Mei is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Concordia University. Her passion for helping those around her and her love for theatre led her to take Human Relations as a major, and Theater as a minor. In her spare time, Mei loves to indulge in creative projects.

Sanaa Bishop-Méus (b. 2005) is a young black artist from Montreal. Through painting, drawing and digital illustration, her work conveys the beauty of black women. The artist is interested in the representation of all shades, shapes and sizes of feminine Blackness. Sanaa's goal is to pursue a degree in Art and Business in Toronto.

Sasha Ferst (b. 2006) is a high school student who is contemplating a career as a nurse. Although she likes art, Sasha does not know if she would pursue it as her career. With the help of this opportunity, she hopes to open her mind to new possibilities.

Shayah Corbin (b. 2006) hopes, as part À l'image – Takeover, to share her point of view as a black teenager exploring her identity. Shayah is learning about the importance of perspective and open-mindedness. After graduating from high school, Shayah plans to study psychotherapy.

Talayah Rattray (b. 2003) is a university student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in biology and computer science. In addition to her studies, she enjoys creating art, both physical and digital. Talayah is involved in her community and works as a Facilitator at Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre in Little Burgundy.

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Meet the artist

Veronica Mockler (b. 1991) is an artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal (Québec, Canada) who favours a dialogical approach. Informed by oral history, documentary practice, and popular education, her work treats the experience of talking and listening to other people as art form. Mockler's interviews, structured conversations, video performances, and public addresses are politically collaborative and question: Who is invited to participate in the institutions of citizenship, art and knowledge? Mockler holds a Master of Arts (2022) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2015) from Concordia University. Her work has taken shape in Canada, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, and the United States. Mockler is currently working as a core artist and research affiliate with Project Someone at Concordia University.

The artist thanks Amanda Maxwell at Desta Black Community Network, as well as Ashley Montgomery and Vivek Venkatesh at Project Someone, Concordia University for their generous collaboration.

This project is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Ville de Montréal and the Gouvernement du Québec in the context of the Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal.

Dazibao thanks the artist and the participants for their generous collaboration as well as its advisory programming committee for its support.

Dazibao receives financial support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ville de Montréal.

Dazibao acknowledges that we are located on unceded territory of the Kanien'kehá: ka Nation and that Tiohtiá: ke / Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations, and today, is home to a diverse population of Indigenous as well as other peoples.