Beau Gomez

Fixer is a gathering of image-makers, creatives, writers and thinkers in a community-driven, experiential critique session.

Structured as an intimate, open dialogue between peers, Fixer comprises a group of artists presenting their works in the company of fellow artists, and arts/cultural workers. Critique and dialogue are integral components of Fixer; these sessions are built for feedback exchange to aid the artists in the development of their projects, to engage in collaborative assessments, and foster resource and knowledge-sharing. Following the critique, the session culminates into a roundtable feast provided by the host.

I started Fixer with the aim to build community, by advancing peer-to-peer support and expanding the opportunity to engage in creative and critical dialogue. Having studied in academic arts institutions, the experience of formalized, conventional critique practices can be authoritative, prescriptive, and daunting. Fixer actively restructures “critique” into an intimate, intentional space that encourages meaningful exchange between participants, regardless of academic background, artistic history, or profession. There are many photographers, filmmakers, and other lens-based artists within our community (particularly those who are emerging or resurging into their practice) who have yet to experience, be enriched by, or have properly benefited from critique, thus Fixer bridges this gap by not only embracing criticism as a crucial piece to the process, but also supplementing it in ways that are relational and stimulating. Every session ends with a feast - our festive way to unwind, nourish, and further cultivate camaraderie.

Fixer°1 - the first edition - was held on September, 2019. Following a hiatus as a result of the pandemic, Fixer°2 came back on November 2022, organized as a public program in conjunction with my solo exhibition El Angel at Artspace Gallery. This special edition featured student-artists from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Image Arts community.