Results: Art Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

As most continue to stick close to home, we may notice things in our neighbourhoods we didn't before. One thing, in particular, has caught the attention of folks in east Toronto. Filled bottles suspended in front of a small house has people trying to guess what on earth is in them, and what exactly it is. Guesses range from wind chimes to early Halloween decorations, but it turns out to be an interactive installation by local artist Anna Camilleri, and is part of the STEPS INsiders public art initiative. Camilleri and fellow artists have been finding creative ways to display public art during the lockdown through the STEPS INsiders initiative while still adhering to health and safety measures. Inspired by the nearby Don River Watershed "and its constant act of becoming," it offers a reminder that, while we all go through this experience of physical distancing, "the earth is renewing. Even from the indoors, we may find solace," reads the STEPS description. It incorporates tactile and auditory components as the 200 bottles sway and make sounds when the wind blows. She said that it's become a social experiment and a vehicle for connection, and since she hasn't offered an explanation, people have been left to interpret it for themselves or else ask her about it. Have you noticed any unusual art installations or displays in your neighbourhood, since the Pandemic began?

Another art installation, nicknamed the extraterrestrial sculptures, has popped up in midtown Toronto, and this one has certainly polarized the community. While some find them fun, others find them creepy and ugly. The public art piece, titled STARGATE, was designed by Anna Passakas and Radoslaw Kudlinski of the Toronto- and Krakow-based art group Blue Republic. The project consists of seven sculptures and two glass murals. The two largest and most freaky-looking pieces were are made from clay. "We were inspired by the idea of why and how we're in constant pursuit of connection, no matter how strange or different. The characters tell a narrative of the world today. STARGATE attempts to inspire connection between different worlds," said Passakas. Do you like art that makes you think?

One pre-Pandemic art piece that has stirred controversy since it was installed is a 25-foot-tall, expressionless man holding a skyscraper in his arms atop a pile of colourful cubes, in Toronto., and has been nicknamed the "creepy condo guy". A placard near the statue suggests this statue "embodies the present moment in the city's evolution and invites deep contemplation". Do you find this in any way appealing or interesting?

The saying "art is in the eye of the beholder" can certainly be true about any one of these three "art" installations, but have you ever seen an art installation that just was so horrid or ridiculous, it would be almost impossible to ever consider it art?