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Artist and architectural designer Adrian Blackwell’s two-part installation is part of the inaugural Toronto Biennial of Art. 

The ancient Greek term isonomia implies political equality. Blackwell’s two site-responsive, non-hierarchical structures at the Biennial function as gathering places for weekly programs, and spaces for contemplating isonomia in the face of colonial governance structures that have overtaken Indigenous ones.

At 259 Lake Shore Boulevard East (the biennial’s main exhibition space), Isonomia in Toronto? (harbour) is modelled after Toronto’s changing shoreline, illustrating the effects of encroaching privatization on the land. 

At the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga, a 300 foot-long cushion-like structure with infinite configurations allows visitors to sit in curves, folds and knots. An image of the shoreline of Etobicoke Creek—also known as wadoopikaang (the place where the alders grow) in Anishinaabemowin—stretches along its length, connecting land- and human- based pedagogies. 

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is pleased to have invited Caroline Monnet to create Mooniyang, her first solo architectural projection in the Quartier des Spectacles. The animated work will be presented in collaboration with the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) on UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy, from October 9 to November 24, 2019. Mooniyang is part of FNC Explore, the festival’s new media section, which includes more than 30 world-class works, all on display for free.

Mooniyang (Montreal in the Anishinaabemowin language) is a conceptual exploration of the marks left on the Montreal landscape over the years. Using geometric shapes inspired by traditional Anishinaabe patterns, the territory is divided, reassembled and fragmented in a dynamic series of motions. The ages-old patterns are related to long-suppressed Indigenous knowledge. They represent unknown lands, invisible boundaries and transitional spaces.

This animated work is a continuation of Caroline Monnet’s recent work, in which she explores complex issues of identity, culture and territory.

“I am extremely grateful to the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership for offering me the opportunity to present Mooniyang in the heart of Montreal, outdoors and accessible to all. I hope this new work will inspire people to live together in a spirit of mutual respect,” said Caroline Monnet.

We connect with our built environment through stories, most of which are passed down over time. Join us on November 19 for an exploration on how stories go missing, or how some perspectives remain below the radar. Community is built upon understanding and empathy. What changes as we bring different stories together?

Speakers:

Avnish Nanda / Legal Advisor
Michelle Robinson / Host of Native Calgarian
Despina Stratigakos / Architectural Historian

Thom Fougere (1987) studied architecture at the University of Manitoba before working in furniture, product design, and architecture. In 2010, he was appointed Creative Director at Canadian design house EQ3. During his nine year tenure in that role he led the company through a transformative brand re-positioning. The comprehensive process included a refresh of the company’s visual identity, design direction for the product line, graphic presentation, photography and interior design, including acting as the lead designer of EQ3 showrooms across Canada and the United States.

In 2015, Thom Fougere established his eponymous studio based in Winnipeg, Canada. Working within works within the fields of product design, architecture, commercial interiors, photography and art direction. His works have been exhibited internationally at design fairs in Milan, Stockholm, New York, Montreal, and Toronto.

Csorba as a collaborative architecture and interior design studio. The practice was created in Los Angeles, California and moved to Toronto, bringing with it an unmarked outlook to the progression of design in Canada. Jodi and Andrew have designed,directed and managed over 96 internationally celebrated projects in 38 citiesand 11 countries, both on their own and at Pritzker Prize-winning offices before founding Batay-Csorba Architects. Their own work has been distinguished with international awards, widely published in over 80 international publications and exhibited across 24 international galleries.

Sharing Economy
Home values are always in permanent mutation, and today, those which deal with the kitchen are precisely the most capable of radically changing preset gender roles and domestic labor structures.

The construction and operation of buildings accounts for 39% of global carbon emissions – more than industry and almost double the transportation sector. Some keys to building more sustainably may be found in Canada. Back in the 70s, Canada pioneered the prototype “Passive House” in Saskatchewan – a home with no furnace that captured energy from occupant activities and the sun for heating – as well as the PEI Ark, a self-sufficient home including solar heat, a wind turbine, and a large greenhouse with indoor fish ponds for food.

Today, architects are figuring out how to build net-zero energy and net-zero carbon buildings. The world’s largest near-zero energy community centre is set to open in Surrey BC, and architects across the country are vying to build ever taller highrises out of carbon-capturing wood, instead of steel and concrete. Some architects are moving beyond technology to embrace community-engaged design and build approaches, including food and energy cooperatives.

This event will include presentation of research from the new book Canadian Modern Architecture, 1967 to the present (Princeton Architectural Press, release date October 28, 2019), and a discussion with panelists Peter Busby, Elsa Lam, and Steven Mannell, moderated by Mary Lynk of Ideas (CBC Radio).

This event is also part of the fall lecture series for Dalhousie University’s College of Sustainability.

With:

Peter Busby, Perkins and Will, Vancouver

Elsa Lam, Canadian Architect magazine, Toronto ON

Mary Lynk, Ideas, CBC Radio

Steven Mannell, College of Sustainability, Dalhousie University

Co-hosted with Canadian Architect, Halifax Public Library, Dalhousie University School of Architecture, Nova Scotia Association of Architects, and CAGBC Atlantic. Copies of Canadian Modern Architecture, 1967 to the present will be available for purchase at the event.

Registration is requested here. This event is free, with first-come, first-served general admission. Please note that registration does not guarantee a seat at the event.

Winnipeg has one of the largest and most well preserved collections of hand painted signs in North America.

Our downtown core is covered with advertisements and store signs from years gone by that were painstakingly hand painted by highly skilled artists. While ads, store signs, and billboards certainly have changed since the turn of the century, the artform is still kept alive by a few individuals and its history is captured on the sides of buildings and signs we pass each day, often without noticing.

The film will be accompanied by a short presentation by Matt Cohen, who has documented Winnipeg’s Ghost Signs. Ghost signs are hand-painted, outdoor ads that have been preserved on sides of buildings. They are also known as fading ads or brick ads and were prevalent from the 1890s through to the 1960s. As outdoor advertising mediums evolved, ghost signs became a less popular way of advertising products and services and were replaced by billboards and vinyl banners.

The library is fully accessible. Please allow time to go through the security screening.

As part of the University of Lethbridge’s Architecture & Design NOW series, book co-editor Graham Livesey presents an overview of the book Canadian Modern Architecture, 1967 to the present.

The Soirée des Grands A, a networking event featuring special guests takes place every year in a new venue. the 2019 edition will bring together some 350 guests at St Jax Montréal. the fundraising event will serve as a forum to highlight ASFQ’s activities and thank its valued partners. over the past 12 years, the ‘soirée’ has become a key event within the design community. the festive cocktail setting is a perfect backdrop for ASFQ to gather the many partners that have contributed to its mission for more than a decade: architects, ambassadors, allies, and a multitude of other ‘great a’s’.

The story of Canada’s modern architecture starts with the West Coast Modern houses around Vancouver, which worked closely with the existing landscape of sea and forest, set against a mountain backdrop. Even as the city developed, those ideas of working with the land expanded into an ethos of city-building with nature in mind—a mindset that led to landmarks such as Robson Square. Now, Vancouver boasts some of the most progressive green building policies in the country, and local architects are North American leaders in innovations such as building carbon-sequestering wood highrises.

This discussion is presented by DesignTalk, in conjunction with the fall launch of the book Canadian Architecture, 1967 to the present. The panel includes book co-editor Elsa Lam, contributing essayist Sherry McKay, and architects John Patkau and James KM Cheng.

For more information, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thinking-forward-building-with-nature-book-launch-for-canadian-modern-architecture-1967-to-the-tickets-78642055505