Salima Punjani (she/her)is a multisensory artist grounded in relational aesthetics. A common thread through all of her work is the creation of environments that allow for receptivity of connection. She is particularly interested in how multiple senses can be used to expand the possibilities for Disabled people to feel welcome in art spaces as well as to create artful experiences of empathy, intimacy, and connection. Her recent projects include the following:
Will you Pass the Salt? at the Phi Foundation in Montreal, which invites people to sit at a dining room table and experience the sounds of 10 households in Montreal cooking and preparing a meal.
The Cost of Entry is a Heartbeat at the Spatial Sound Institute in Budapest used heartbeat data and thermal bath sounds to create a collective rest environment.
Progression, a real-time immersive multisensory installation that explores the narratives of people living with multiple sclerosis fused with brainwaves and MRI scans.
Konbit Anba Soley, a participatory, interactive documentary about a social movement in Cité Soleil, Haiti as well as Moms of Montreal, and a multicultural photographic storytelling project offering an intimate view into the recipes and stories of families in Montreal.
I believe Sync Canada will support me in connecting to other people across Canada interested in developing more accessible arts environments. I also feel Sync Canada will help me in thinking through important questions about disability-led leadership as I start to develop my curatorial practice.”