In celebration of its 30th anniversary, VOX is revealing unpublished archives that contextualize its activist origins and its transformation into a centre for the presentation of photography.
Think of 1985, and what generally comes to mind? Dayglo colours, pseudo punk, mullet haircuts, the world’s first test-tube baby and the rise of neoliberalism. We tend to forget that 1985 was also International Youth Year, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. This celebration aimed at building young people’s capacities by providing incentives for them to engage fully in social life, in tangible, constructive ways. Ironically, the youth of the time were the age group hardest hit by the economic crisis that wrought havoc worldwide. In Quebec, most young people were collecting unemployment insurance or welfare cheques, and experiencing all manner of inequities. Economic precarity was a hallmark of the tail end of the baby-boom demographic, which came to be known as the “sacrificed” generation.
Driven by firm determination and a commitment to advance the cause of young people, several militant members of the Saint-Louis du Parc unemployed youth collective founded Vox populi. Its mission: “make accessible, to disadvantaged communities, the means of communication they need to improve their quality of life.”
More more information, visit http://www.centrevox.ca/en/exposition/vox-populi-1985-1989/
The exhibition will be on display through April 2nd, 2016.
