Located in downtown Toronto, Tangled Art Gallery is a non-profit Disability Arts organization with the goal of “creating a space specifically for Mad, Deaf, neurodivergent, and Disabled artists to be able to exhibit and be recognized.”
In the past, and even today, able-bodied artists often receive far more credit and critical engagement than their Disabled counterparts. Sean Lee, Tangled Art’s director of programming, explains that historically, “artists from the Disability community had their work solely understood through the lens of art therapy, which left little room to engage with its artistic and political contributions.” To Lee, Tangled Art has “helped create a dedicated space for discussing Disability Arts as a movement.”
From Sept. 11 to Nov. 13, the gallery is hosting Tangled’s Tenth: A Juried Exhibition to celebrate its first decade milestone. Lee explains that the exhibition revisits Tangled Art as a “site of political engagement” and “space where we can explore how access can shape curatorial practice and how to build cross-disability solidarity.”
Many of the pieces on display showcase the lived experiences of people with Disabilities, offering viewers a window into a multitude of differing perspectives. Viktoriya Rudenko, a Deaf visual mixed-media artist, has four works on display that each reflect the Deaf experience of music as well as the communication difficulties through lip reading. The pieces are accompanied by an artist statement from Rudenko which, in part, explains that Deaf people experience music through “vibration, movement, and vibrant colour.” In addition to the written statements, there is a screen of Rudenko talking about these pieces in ASL.
Jocelyn, a visitor to the gallery, discussed how it was “nice that small galleries make it more accessible for both the artist and enjoyers” and how the artworks’ depictions of living with Disability encourage different viewpoints.
While the gallery may be small, Tangled Art does not have any plans to expand into other locations at the moment. “There’s a capitalist expectation that organizations should always be growing,” says Lee, “but that pressure can dilute the ethics at the centre of our work.” Rather, their priority is “deepening our support for artists, our relationships with community, and our accessible curatorial practices.”
Tangled Art Gallery offers free tours from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday. Visitors can drop in or, if in groups of four or more, book tours in advance. Accessibility accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, can be provided, and online tours are also possible.
