Prose In Therapy is a convergence of free form poetics and imitated therapy. This work is meant to break down the formality of medical procedures through the use of atypical document format aesthetics. The intimate and thought-provoking language used is accompanied by somewhat childish drawings that play on the somatic realities of mortality. Prose In Therapy addresses the delicate situation of being a patient in mental health recovery while verging into themes of honesty, sexuality and economic frustration. The cartoon drawings found on each page of Prose In Therapy were made in collaboration with local sketch artist Michael Vuong. These poems were all read to audiences at Toronto open-mic events including local venues Shab-e She’r and Art Bar.

Moncef Mounir was born in Rabat, Morocco. He is a poet, visual artist and the director of Quaker Kid Productions (QKP), a print media outfit with various collaborative chapbook and zine works. He has spent a decade as a skilled labourer across the City of Toronto and works as a legal assistant after receiving his P1 paralegal’s license. Moncef operates 20scene.com, a blog-style venue to expose his live music editorial zines while also releasing QKP print media works. Moncef has spent over 7 years in mental health recovery and has 4 years abstinence from drugs and alcohol as of September 2020.

CONTENT WARNING

Mature Language, Sexual Content, Suicide

This artist has an item in the RWM swag bag to go with their piece in the exhibition. All ticket holders will be invited to receive RWM swag bags available for free curbside pickup during festival hours.

Images of the Prose in Therapy installation in Re:Building Resilience:

Photos by Henry Chang

Medication Meditation is a single player game about the daily experience of living with mental illness. This game demonstrates the effort put into maintaining wellbeing and the mundane aspects of mental illness we often overlook. Anatomical, flesh coloured pixel art brings the player into a game-y feel and lets them focus on their somatic experience in this unwinnable game.

Kara Stone is an artist and scholar interested in the affective and gendered experiences of psychosocial disability, debility and healing as it relates to art production, particularly video games. Her artwork has been featured in The Atlantic, Wired and Vice. She is a member of the Different Games Collective. She is currently a PhD student in Film and Digital Media with a designated emphasis in Feminist Studies at University of California at Santa Cruz.

Images of the Medication Meditation installation in Re:Building Resilience:

Photos by Henry Chang