Veronica Mockler, known for her work in participatory dialogue and shared authority, has completed a significant outreach project with Dazibao, an arts organization and gallery in Montréal. From 2022 to 2024, Mockler led À l’image — Takeover, partnering with Black community organizations in Little Burgundy. This initiative provided young women with a platform to respond to gallery exhibitions through various artistic mediums. Mockler's role involved guiding discussions and coordinating the participants' projects.
Following this, Dazibao invited Mockler to create a reflective follow-up which she titled I Won’t Do it Alone. This new project featured a series of unscripted and unedited "briefings," where Mockler spoke to the camera for two and a half minutes every hour from 9 to 5 over five days. These videos were shared with past project participants, who then responded with their own videos. The collection of responses explored themes such as precarity, privilege, authenticity, and ethics.
Mockler's innovative approach to dialogue and art continues to redefine participation in the realms of art, citizenship, and knowledge, creating a dynamic space for collective artistic expression and social engagement.
I Won’t Do it Alone launches on November 14 at Dazibao, opening at 6pm, and will run until January 18, 2025. Further information is available in the press release.