The Bentway - “Beyond Concrete,” featuring “Groundcover”, “Lichen”, “Balete Bulate Bituka” and “Aliens of Manila”, “Bentempus Gardinus: A Long-Exposure Ecological Portrait”, “Atmospheres”
- Artists: Genesis Báez, Lisa Jackson, Leeroy New, Alex Sheriff, Public Visualization Lab/Studio
- Medium: Installation
- Project Type: Major Institutions
- Neighbourhood: Fort York
It’s the final chance to catch Beyond Concrete, The Bentway’s exhibition of public artwork exploring the urban natural world framed by the Gardiner's iconic concrete columns.
Location
- Address: 250 Fort York Blvd
- Physical Access: Wheelchair accessible
The Project
As Toronto wrestles with important questions about the Expressway and its future, The Bentway invites the city to explore the urban nature of the Gardiner. Visitors’ expectations will be upended as they discover a thriving urban ecosystem beneath the highway, where human-made infrastructure intertwines with resilient wildlife, growing in spite and because of the concrete. “Beyond Concrete” brings together artists, architects, designers, biologists, botanists, knowledge-keepers, and residents to explore the urban natural world framed by the Gardiner's iconic concrete columns. At The Bentway Skate Trail, encounter an otherworldly creature that coils around the Expressway, illustrating the tangled relationship between waste and wildlife; see the highway anew through photographs developed in collaboration with the soil and water; listen to the wind and appreciate its power in shaping our cities; participate in a speculative history of the Gardiner featuring plants and animals from across deep time; and experience lichen up close and learn how it models new ways of being in relationship with our infrastructure, and one another. Featuring artworks by Leeroy New, Genesis Báez, Lisa Jackson, Alex Sheriff, and Public Visualization Lab/Studio, and chance encounters with New’s “The Aliens of Manila” (please see The Bentway’s website for exact performance times).
The Artists
- Genesis Báez, New York, USA
- Lisa Jackson, Aamjiwnaang First Nation Tkaronto, Canada
- Leeroy New, Manila, Philippines
- Alex Sheriff, Toronto, Canada
- Public Visualization Lab/Studio, Toronto, Canada
The Bentway works “to ignite the urban imagination,” using the city as site, subject, and canvas. Anchored under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway and guiding its complex future, The Bentway is a growing public space, and much more. A new type of civic organization: a not-for-profit, powered by vital partnerships with the City of Toronto, residents, supporters, artists, city-builders, and dreamers. The Bentway is a creative catalyst rooted in experimentation, leading a creative movement to re-imagine the opportunities of urban spaces.
Acknowledgements
Commissioned by The Bentway. “Balete Bulate Bituka” and “Groundcover” are produced in partnership with Fort York National Historic Site.