Photo: Document original
A new chapter for Dazibao: Emma-Kate Guimond appointed general and artistic director.
The board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Emma-Kate Guimond as Dazibao’s general and artistic director.
Emma-Kate joined Dazibao in 2018 as exhibition and special project coordinator. In this position, she has been a contributor to, and initiator of, many aspects of Dazibao’s activities. Working closely with artists throughout the different stages of their process, her approach prioritizes attentiveness, generosity, communication, and experimentation. Informed by her applied experience with moving images, she is motivated by exchanges with artists that explore formal and conceptual potentials. This investment is reflected in a deepened understanding of Dazibao’s mandate and its evolving role since 1980 in Montreal, Quebec, and abroad.
Emma-Kate has been active in Montreal and Canada’s art milieus for over fifteen years. Locally, she has contributed to the artist-run sector through a range of capacities. As a performance and video artist, she has presented works across Canada and participated in numerous collaborative projects that question and explore possibilities for more inclusive creation frameworks. This includes her work with the feminist collective WIVES from 2009 to 2017, as well as her involvement as a creative ally with the accessible theatre company Joe, Jack & John, from 2019 to 2024. She is active in Montreal’s queer live arts scene as a performer. Her writing has appeared in ESPACE art actuel, C Magazine, Inter, and Spirale.
Based on her proximity to research and creation, her reflections on the status of images consider how they act in relation to the systems that regiment bodies through notions of truth and time. Attending to questions of what is at stake and where the urgencies lie, Emma-Kate is interested in how institutions accommodate image practice and discourse; the ethics and care with which they host and engage viewers in that process.
Dazibao’s vibrant and committed team now consists of Ariel Rondeau, programming coordinator; Émylie Bernard, communications and publishing coordinator; and Jeanne Robichaud, technical and administrative coordinator.
Dazibao looks forward to connecting with its community through this new, slightly different programming cycle.
“Emma-Kate brings deep attentiveness, a collaborative spirit, and a sharp critical perspective on image-based practices. The board of directors is excited to see her step into this leadership role to cultivate a gallery space that is increasingly inclusive, open, and engaged with both artists and the public.”
— Chih-Chien Wang, Dazibao board president
Dazibao acknowledges that it is located on the 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. Guided by ethics of respect, listening, and awareness, Dazibao commits to a continued reflection regarding the deep-rooted and systemic challenges tied to accessibility and inclusivity in the arts and beyond, and endeavors to apply such reflections to all aspects of its activities and governance.