Transforming Toxic Spaces: Masculinity, Violence & Healing Through Art | Christopher Quigley

In this gripping episode of Mind Over Masculinity, host Avik Chakraborty speaks with Nova Scotia-based artist and stroke survivor Christopher W. Quigley about his groundbreaking immersive art project Transformation of Dangerous Spaces. This powerful conversation dives into how everyday environments like locker rooms and bathroom stalls often become breeding grounds for gender-based violence—and how immersive storytelling, environmental design, and personal accountability can help dismantle those toxic norms. Christopher shares how grief, survival, and personal transformation after two strokes led him to take action in his small town, sparking a nationwide conversation. This episode is a must-listen for anyone committed to disrupting cycles of silence, reshaping masculinity, and building safer spaces for all.

About the Guest:Christopher W. Quigley is an artist, designer, and stroke survivor from Nova Scotia. He is the creator of Transformation of Dangerous Spaces, an immersive 8-stall art installation designed to confront and reframe the social conditioning that fosters gender-based violence. With a background in custom fabrication and a passion for social justice, Christopher uses art as a medium to awaken consciousness and create real change.

Key Takeaways :

• Christopher survived two strokes in 2023, which rewired his emotional capacity and connection to the world, inspiring his deeper purpose-driven work.

• A local tragedy—the murder of Elaine Mosher—moved him to action. Initially proposing a housing project, he was instead encouraged to create an educational installation addressing gender-based violence.

• His installation, Transformation of Dangerous Spaces, is an 8-stall immersive experience that uses sound, light, and storytelling to recreate emotional and physical spaces where toxic masculinity often breeds.

• The project invites accountability—not blame—by showing how societal systems shape boys and men from birth and calls out online platforms and influencers that fuel misogyny.

• Christopher emphasizes that the installation is trauma-informed, technologically advanced, and built to provoke visceral, reflective experiences among men and boys.

• His ultimate goal is not to shame men but to encourage reckoning, healing, and action.

• So far, the project has received resounding support from politicians, educators, and communities across Canada.

• Christopher urges all men to reflect on the spaces they occupy and the silences they allow—and consider how they can show up differently.

 

Connect with the Guest:

• Email: [e-mail]

• TikTok:@alchemiaart

• Website: https://www.alchemiaartworkshop.org/

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

CHECK PODCAST SHOWS & BE A GUEST:

• Tune to all our 19 podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/healthymindbyavik

• Subscribe To Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

• Join Community: https://nas.io/healthymind

OUR SERVICES

• Business Podcast Management: https://ourofferings.healthymindbyavik.com/corporatepodcasting/

• Individual Podcast Management: https://ourofferings.healthymindbyavik.com/Podcasting/

• Share Your Story With World: