AdHack Subvert Laugh Conquer by Stephanie in Toronto

Join Stephanie for a fun, hands-on workshop that will have you laughing at the absurdity of advertisements. As advertisements become more ubiquitous in our public and, increasingly, private/digital spaces, we need to become aware of their presence, their manipulation tactics, and the toll they take on our mental health. Stephanie’s ongoing ‘AdHack’ painting series uses the power of laughter to disarm ads and create a healthier relationship with a medium we are regularly exposed to. Using reclaimed advertisements as her canvas, Stephanie paints her own whimsical additions directly onto them – strange creatures that interact with or replace the products and models – to critique the duplicitous aspects of consumer culture and the constructs of advertising. Using farce to undermine the pervasive power and influence they wield, she shifts and subverts advertisements from being manipulative and insidious to hilarious and absurd, and transforms the viewer/advertiser relationship from predatory to empowering. In this workshop, she wants you to do the same! Participants will be encouraged to grab magazines and paint/markers to join in on the fun! Making one’s own ‘AdHacks’ is an easy and cathartic way of changing how you react to ads. Together, we will share our creations and have casual conversations about the impact ads and consumer culture have on our lives, communities, and world. No art experience is needed to participate, and the sillier the creations, the better! The workshop is great for people of all ages, though it's particularly useful educational tool for students. It comes with helpful discussions that raise awareness about advertisement tactics and how we can be more resilient to their increasingly invasive presence. I've hosted AdHack workshops at: The Big on Bloor Festival, Community Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Long Winter, The Pulp Paper Art Party, Figment Toronto Interactive Art Festival, and Camp Wavelength