Reclaiming and Dismantling “Art” for Human and Nonhuman Justice
Tori Lion will explore the theory and practice of activist art, discussing its origins in the Dada and surrealist movements, culture jamming, street art, performance art, remixes, readymades, leafleting, pop art, and feminist art. Activists are perhaps best described as ìanti-artists,î transforming unconventional objects into works of art and using disruptions to reclaim oppressive spaces by converting them into stages with performers. Examples include ACT UP, the Arab Spring uprisings, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter.

Tori Lion is a queer and disabled artist, academic, writer, and human and nonhuman animal rights activist based in Toronto.