Mushtari Afroz
Imagine There’s No Quota | Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Originally from Bangladesh, Mushtari Afroz is a Toronto-based dance artist. She is also an artist-researcher-practitioner in public spaces. Her praxis-driven work investigates spatial justice in urban environments, examining themes such as gentrification, space versus place and the concept of publicness. Mushtari integrates art as a political tool in her practice, using dance, music, and theater to create site-specific performances that address socio-spatial issues in neoliberal cities and foster active citizenship. She holds an MA in Performing Public Space from Fontys Academy of the Arts, Netherlands, and is currently advancing her research at York University’s Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies department.
About the Project
The public art project, developed through research, community participation, and a pilot audio-walk installation, will honor those who were killed or injured by the last ruling party's genocidal tactics during the July-August 2024 revolution in Bangladesh, which advocated for education and employment reforms and broader social changes. Unfolding in Toronto’s 'Bangla Town,' streets the project will offer a space for the Bangladeshi-Canadian community to reflect on the uprising in their homeland and envision a future that fosters greater civic engagement. Additionally, the audio-walk installations will transform the streets into interactive spaces, challenging their current role as mere transit routes.