A new exhibit from the Fredericton Feminist Film Collective aims to demonstrate feelings of nostalgia and community through art.
Suction is a virtual showcase that showcases pieces from multiple mediums, all highlighting what it means to wait.
“I was imagining the gloom of January and thought maybe it would be good to reflect on that feeling of nostalgia,” said Casey Burkholder, co-founder of the group and professor at the University of New Brunswick.
A wide range of pieces, in addition to film, were submitted, including songs, poetry, photography and comics. Despite the difference in artistic styles, they share the common theme of desire.
The event organizers have chosen not to refuse any artists, so all submissions will be displayed during the showcase.
“It’s sort of our philosophy… There’s no assumption of technical expertise or artistic prowess. It’s really about doing something together,” Burkholder said.
An in-person showcase is unlikely to happen in the near future due to gathering restrictions. But, the group took this moment as an opportunity to fully promote themselves online.
Burkholder believes that by being entirely online, they have reached artists from across the province who otherwise would not be in a Fredericton gallery.
“There are people who submitted [art] that I’ve never met, which is exciting. People who are beyond here, in Wolastoqiyik territory,” she said.
The collective was created in 2017 by Burkholder and fellow UNB professor, Sabine Lebel.
Burkholder arrived at college for her work around the same time as Lebel, and the couple realized they had a common interest in participatory art, particularly film production.
She said they wanted to build a community around films and critical thinking. Initially limited to mobile phone productions, they make short films based on simple concepts.
“Since that time…our artistic practices have changed, but it’s still about community, about our production and about making sense of this place, this time and this space,” Burkholder said.
The collective is always open to new members who wish to join their community without any specific prerequisites.
“It’s for everyone. the [Feminist Film] Collective talks about the world and makes art from an intersectional feminist stance,” she said. “It just means exploring systems and structures as a collective.”
Their next project will be doing daily art prompts and analyzing what they get in return.
“I tend to be a little sad in the winter,” Burkholder said. “I find it helpful to turn those kinds of feelings into something productive, especially if I feel like there’s a way to make a community out of it.”
