Unceded Voices: Anticolonial Street Artists Convergence is the title of the second edition of the collective project Decolonizing Street Art, which will take place in the streets of Montreal from August 14 to 23, 2015. This project aims to bring together Indigenous street artists and people of color street artists in order to build an artistic community of shared anti-colonial values. The Convergence will promote a type of street art that is political and advocates the decolonization of Turtle Island, reminding Montrealers of the city’s colonial past and present on unceded Kanien’keha’:ka territory. The ten artists who have been invited this year articulate their artistic approaches around Indigenous identities and iconography. Many of the artists focus their work on issues related to Indigenous resistance, such as environmental struggles against pipelines and mining as well as justice for missing and murdered native women. Other artists also address issues related to the meaning of decolonization and anti-oppression struggles.

This collective event will provide a better understanding of the historical, social and cultural realities of Indigenous peoples by promoting an exchange of knowledge between different communities. Community-based programming will also take form through discussions and activities with Indigenous community organizations. Finally, this project aims to build solidarity and eradicate prejudices and stereotypes related to Indigenous artists who are still struggling today to take their place in the visual arts, hence the title Unceded Voices.

The idea of having this project take place in public space allows for the start of a dialogue with the public on these issues. Unceded Voices: Anticolonial Street Artists Convergence seeks to curb the invisibility of Indigenous street artists and people of color street artists on a territory they are reclaiming. In attempting to raise awareness of the social realities which the public might not even suspect exist, this is where street action becomes meaningful.

 

The idea of Decolonizing Street Art sparked from discussions between street artists Cam and Tom GreyEyes in Fall 2013 about an eventual project which would unite different Indigenous artists on Turtle Island and working around decolonization and anticolonial struggle themes. The first convergence took place at the end of August 2014. Decolonizing Street Art is a grassroots collective project and the team is made up of warm-hearted volunteers in so-called Montreal, including artists, activists and Indigenous organisations. 

Window Projects  

Participating Artists: Decolonizing Street Art
Curator(s):
Credits: Image : Murale de Chris Bose, août 2014, Petite-Italie, Montréal. Photo : DSA.  decolonizingstreetart.com | facebook.com