The Professor’s Desk pairs documents from the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance’s (ACLA) archives within the frame of a professor's office. This project looks particularly at four cases of discrimination on or relating to Canadian universities; the W5 Campus Giveaway TV Special from 1979, Professor Kin-Yip Chun's case of racial discrimination against the University of Toronto, MacLean Magazine's "Too Asian" article from 2010, and current barriers facing international students across the country. This project puts together materials from these events within the artist’s studio/office. In doing so Naqvi considers how these institutions have or have not chosen to support visible minorities within the frame of academia. This series is meant to commemorate the legacy of figures who have publicly spoken out about their experiences and considers how they have made space for future Black, Indigenous, and racialized workers within academic institutions.

This project was developed through Mayworks’ Labour Arts Catalyst program in partnership with Asian Canadian Labour Alliance with the support of OPIRG Toronto.

This project will be paired by writing by Anushay Malik.

Dates & Times

Storefront exhibition: May 4-31, viewable 24/7

*Gallery hours every Sunday through May, 1-4PM

Accompanying programs:

On May 7, join artist Zinnia Naqvi at The Professor’s Desk Opening Reception.

On May 24, attend The Professor’s Desk: In conversation, an artist talk with Zinnia Naqvi, Professor Kin-Yip Chun, and Chris Ramsaroop. From May 4-28, visit The Professor’s Desk TTC billboard at Spadina & Bloor.

Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts is a community-based festival which annually presents new works by a diverse and broad range of artists, who are both workers and activists. Our programming presents bold, insightful, responses to pressing issues at the intersection of art, social justice and labour.