1850, 2010

Sandra Rechico - Toronto, Canada

Light Installation

In the 1850s the shore of Lake Ontario reached what is now Front Street. Since then, the shoreline's contour has changed as the lake has been altered to make room for a growing city. Using landfill the lakeshore has been moved approximately one kilometer south. The new land was created first for industry, and more recently, for housing and parks. This piece marks a boundary: the boundary of where city once met water and now, the boundary of Zone C. A marker of this former shoreline will be recreated though an array of lights projecting an immersive wash of blue. The saturation of colour creates a hazy mirage of the water that once met the land. The light parallels the mutability and fluidity of water, creating a space that people can move through without resistance. The spectacle of the lights combined with the subtlety of the personal experience within this ghost of water, offers a space for the playfulness associated with a shoreline. The evocation of a beach amidst the concrete streets and sidewalks fuses the timeline to a now that is both 1850 and 2010.

Sandra Rechico is a Toronto artist whose drawings and installations investigate urban space. Her work has been exhibited across Canada and abroad. Her exhibitions have been featured in numerous publications and she has participated in a number of international residencies. She has also co-curated WADE a city-wide art event in Toronto’s wading pools with Christie Pearson. Rechico is an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph.

Suitable for all ages

Thank you to:
Toronto Arts Council, Sarah Cale, Howard Ungerleider of Production Design International Inc.