DemocracyXChange (DXC), in partnership with OCAD University and the European Union through its Delegation to Canada, has announced the artists selected for Utopia Rewired: Creative Visions for Democratic Futures, the Opening Night exhibition of DemocracyXChange 2026, Canada’s annual summit dedicated to democracy, civic imagination, and civic participation.
Presented April 16–17, 2026 in Toronto, Utopia Rewired brings together emerging youth artists from Canada and the European Union to explore how creative practice can help reimagine democratic life and the economic systems that shape our collective future.
Selected through an international open call, the artists chosen to exhibit include: Slavko Petek (Croatia), Parumveer Walia (Canada), Loretta Jeff-Combs (Tl’esqox First Nation, Canada), and the artist duo Jan Munske (Germany) and Luisa Cruz (Canada/Brazil).
The exhibition launches during DemocracyXChange 2026, co-produced by OCAD University, The Open Democracy Project, and The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University. This year’s summit explores the theme Side by Side: Building an Economy that Serves Democracy, examining how democratic values can shape the design of economic systems.
“The European Union has long promoted and defended democracy worldwide, so we are delighted to partner with DemocracyXChange and to create a platform where European and Canadian youth artists can spark dialogue and reflection on key issues which affect us all,” said H.E. Geneviève Tuts, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada, who will deliver opening remarks at the summit.
“The Delegation of the European Union to Canada celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, thus partnerships like this highlight the ongoing strength of the EU-Canada relationship and the efforts undertaken by policy makers and civilians alike to further democratic values across Europe, Canada and beyond.”
Utopia Rewired invites artists to imagine economies that are not rooted in extraction. Through installation, performance, film, and beadwork, the selected artists present works that question dominant assumptions about value, power, and belonging.
“Utopia Rewired presents a chance to rethink the world through the eyes of emerging artists,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “Their work challenges us to imagine economies rooted in care, reciprocity, and shared stewardship—ideas that are central to building a more democratic future.”
Croatian designer Slavko Petek will present The Inversion Vault, a spatial installation that inverts the pyramid — one of the most enduring architectural symbols of hierarchy and concentrated power. By reversing the structure, Petek transforms the pyramid into a shared interior space that reframes the concept of a “vault”. Instead of protecting private wealth, the installation symbolically safeguards essential foundations of society such as resources, care labour, and digital rights, inviting viewers to imagine value measured through mutual connection rather than accumulation.
Vancouver-based artist Parumveer Walia will contribute Untitled (Future Studies), an image-based installation that combines archival research, photography, and moving image. Working across documentary and speculative storytelling, Walia’s practice examines queerness, memory, and identity while collapsing distinctions between past and present. The work creates what the artist describes as a “Third Space,” where hybrid narratives open new possibilities for imagining democratic futures.
Tŝilhqot’in artist Loretta Jeff-Combs presents Qats’ay ʔundziny (Strawberry Basket), a work rooted in Tŝilhqot’in matriarchal governance and land-based law. Through beadwork inspired by traditional basket forms, Jeff-Combs reflects on systems of collective responsibility and women’s leadership embedded within Indigenous governance. The strawberries referenced in the work symbolize renewal and continuity, asserting Indigenous knowledge as a living framework for shaping future economic and social systems.
Artists Jan Munske and Luisa Cruz present The International Bureau of Honey, a participatory installation and performance that transforms the exhibition into a fictional public office. Visitors are invited to complete a short form reflecting on the purpose of an economy and the often invisible forms of care and labour that sustain society. In exchange, participants receive a small jar of honey and a seed-paper envelope embedded with wildflower seeds. By staging a miniature economy grounded in reciprocity and participation, the project uses humour and institutional aesthetics to question how resources are distributed and how collective responsibility might be reimagined.
Alongside the Opening Night exhibition, DemocracyXChange will feature keynotes, panels and workshops, convening policymakers, artists, scholars, students and community leaders to explore creative responses to the most pressing democratic challenges of our time.
For more information and tickets, please visit: democracyxchange.org.
About OCAD University
OCAD University (OCAD U), located in downtown Toronto, is Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university. It is a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. Students benefit from hands-on studio learning and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios for both traditional and digital creation. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, students gain employable skills. Graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.
Web: OCAD University | X: @OCAD | Facebook: ocaduniversity | Instagram: @ocaduniversity | TikTok: @ocaduniversity
For inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Karen McCarthy, Director of Communications and Media, at 514-826-0597 or kmccarthy@ocadu.ca
About DemocracyXChange
DemocracyXChange (DXC) connects, celebrates and equips people who are taking action to strengthen democracy. Co-produced by OCAD U, The Open Democracy Project and the Dais at TMU, the annual summit brings together artists, policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and civic innovators to explore new ideas for democratic renewal. DemocracyXChange 2026 takes place in Toronto from April 16–18 and features three days of keynote talks, expert panels, participatory workshops, and artistic programming designed to examine today’s most pressing civic challenges. This year’s theme, “Side by Side: Building an Economy that Serves Democracy,” explores how democratic values can shape the design of economic systems and strengthen civic life.
Web: democracyxchange.org | Instagram: @democracyxchange | X: @dxcsummit | Facebook: @democracyxchange LinkedIn: democracyxchange | @dxcsummit.bsky.social | #DXC26
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact: Sue Holland, Communications and Marketing Lead, DXC at: sue@democracyxchange.org
About the Delegation of the European Union to Canada
The Delegation of the European Union to Canada is the official diplomatic representation of the European Union in Canada. As the EU's primary presence in the country, it works to strengthen political, economic, and cultural ties between the European Union and Canada. The Delegation facilitates dialogue on shared priorities including trade, climate action, security, and innovation through the implementation of the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Its team promotes EU policies and interests, fosters people-to-people connections, and supports collaboration in research, education, and cultural exchanges. The Delegation serves as a vital link between Canadian stakeholders and EU institutions, while also providing information services to the public on EU developments and initiatives.
Web: EU Delegation to Canada | Facebook: EUinCanada | Instagram: EUinCanada | LinkedIn: Delegation of the European to Canada
For press inquiries or to schedule an interview with the artists, please contact: eupopcanada@gopa-pace.com.