Ada X
Ada X is a bilingual feminist artist-run centre in Montréal that supports technological experimentation, creation and critical reflection in media arts. Ada X assists in the independent production and diffusion of art created by women, trans, non-binary and queer artists in the field of contemporary technological practices. Demystifying, providing access, equipping, questioning and creating, these are the aims of the Ada X. The centre actively participates in the development of a digital democracy that encourages autonomy and collaboration.
Ada X is a space specifically dedicated to the feminist practices of a community of critical and committed artists, who are marginalized within the digital arts (and in society). The centre contributes to the redistribution of power and expression between genders by defending an inclusive feminist position and by denouncing the persistence of gender disparities. Ada X supports projects from individuals and communities who use and design more accessible technologies, from artists who experiment with recycled materials and free software, from those who work with post-internet practices, and from people who define the Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-Together ethics.
Ada X supports feminist artist communities in three ways: the production of artworks in digital art through artists’ residencies by providing space, equipment and specialized resources; the dissemination through the presentation and promotion of artistic works; training through workshops and activities.
- History
Ada X was founded under the name Studio XX in 1996 by Kim Sawchuck (Ph.D and professor), Patricia Kearns (filmmaker), Kathy Kennedy (sound artist) and Sheryl Hamilton (cybernetic). They imagined a bilingual feminist media arts centre that would be an alternative to traditional institutions and would encourage more women to take part in emerging forms of creative expression offered by the rapid development of the Internet and digital tools.
In a context where only a few women used new technologies, Ada X’s founders wanted to establish a support system for feminist engagement in the burgeoning world of “cyberspace” and in the emerging field of media arts. Ada X encouraged women to become “creators” rather than “spectators” by supporting active participation in the production of art and knowledge.
Ada X’s activities were initially organized around the production of art projects, gradually evolving to include the presentation and promotion of artworks (with a series of events called Wired Women Salons or Salon Femmes Branchées). These public events provided an important space for women to exhibit work and discuss their practice, contributing to their evolution as critically engaged artists and performers. Over the years, other types of activities were developed: the XX Files radio program on CKUT; The HTMlles festival of media arts and digital culture; .dpi a electronic feminist publication of art and digital culture; the Matricules archive project – an extensive documented record of the center and the artwork created over the years. Finally, Ada X created a program of residencies and specialized training in order to provide artists and its’ members with tools and resources to produce their own works in a participative and collaborative environment. (2024)
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