Aisle 4 is a curatorial collective based in Tkaronto/Toronto working in social practice and public art. Learn more about us; view our complete list of collaborators; and explore our current & past projects, including exhibitions, public programming, research, and advocacy. Aisle 4 is a curatorial collective based in Tkaronto/Toronto working in social practice and public art. Learn more about us; view our complete list of collaborators; and explore our current & past projects, including exhibitions, public programming, research, and advocacy. On the Table
January 16-22, 2017
DesignTO Festival
Toronto
On The Table was a project concerned with safety in public spaces, particularly for women, and conceived over a year before the #MeToo movement exploded. Aisle 4 commissioned four Toronto-based artists to create original artwork in response to the prevalence of gender-based violence and sexual harassment in licensed establishments, which were printed en masse on recyclable beverage coasters and distributed at select bars and restaurants across the city. Through compelling designs and charged messaging, each coaster sparked dialogue among friends and patrons around nuanced topics such as consent, respectful behaviour, and allyship, while advocating for safe and inclusive spaces for all genders. Doubling as collectible artist multiples, the coasters also prompted new conversations in person and online through the project’s hashtag #OnTheTable.
Press
Advancing Social Justice through Design, Kerala Woods, DesignTO blog (2023)
New initiative aims to fight sexual harassment at Toronto bars — through drink coasters, Lauren Pelley, CBC News (2017)
Coasters with a cause: These artists are using design as activism to promote women's safety, Peter Knegt, CBC Arts (2017)
Toronto bars fight sexual harassment with drink coasters, BlogTO (2017)
Bars in Canada are using these artistic drink coasters to fight sexual assault, Evan Porter, Upworthy (2017)
Toronto groups look to combat sexual harassment, violence in city’s nightlife scene, Carly Lewis, The Globe and Mail (2017)
(This even received right-wing media attention!)
SJW’s spread anti-male propaganda on drink coasters, Dave Menzies, Rebel News (2017)
Acknowledgements
On the Table was presented as part of the 2017 edition of DesignTO and funded through the Toronto Arts Council.
Special thanks to the participating establishments: BQM King West, Cold Tea, Get Well, Gladstone Hotel, Hole in the Wall, Laylow Beer Bar & Eatery, The Beaver, The Yukon, Track & Field, Unlovable, and Wenona Craft Beer Lodge; and the participating university and college campuses: NSCAD University (Art Bar + Projects), George Brown College, Ryerson University (The Ram in the Rye) and Seneca College.
About the works
Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris’ typographic work could be read in two ways: Men Are All Lies, or Men Are Allies. On the back of the coaster, he listed a statistic he found–”97% of men agree that men can personally make a difference in promoting healthy, respectful, and non-violence relationships”–highlighting the disconnect between men’s understanding of allyship and the fact that sexual assault and harassment are very real and prevalent issues, often perpetrated by men.
Aisha Sasha John
Aisha Sasha John’s coaster aimed to empower audiences to be guided by their intuition, and to recognize and respond confidently to the no’s their bodies announce, and to the no’s communicated by other people’s bodies.
Hazel MeyerHazel Meyer’s design referenced renowned feminist and social activist bell hooks, who names patriarchy as the primary force behind incidents of gender-based violence, which negatively impact all genders, not just women. Meyer’s coaster urged audiences to use empathy as a means to fight against the patriarchy.
Lido PimientaLido Pimienta used illustration, a soft colour palette and script handwriting to offer a gentle-yet-firm message that encouraged healthy, safe relationships and sexual encounters in which communication, respect, and consent are paramount.
We acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty and are grateful to live and work on the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples.
aisle4aisle4@gmail.com @_aisle4
Website by Natasha Whyte-Gray, 2024.