Garbage has a new place at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Artists Anna Passakas and Radoslaw Kudlinski’s multi-disciplinary show, Super It, Blue Republic features an artistic take on trash until November 2.
“We have taken poor kinds of discarded materials that have basically lost their meaning, things that you would usually find in the garbage, and we pick them up and we give them a different meaning through placing them in special context,” Passakas said describing the installations in the gallery.
“The response to Blue Republic on opening day was very well attended by both students and the Toronto art community,” said Erin Peck, a coordinator at the gallery.
“We’re just concerned about what’s happening in the world, what’s happening right here in Toronto, Canada and the United States, there are a lot of problems,” said Passakas about the message Blue Republic is trying to send out.
The water drawings Blue Republic showcases are in the centre of the world, which refers to the troops coming home from Afghanistan who are crippled physically and mentally.
“You can read art in a textbook or read about exhibitions, but being in front of the artwork itself is totally different,” said Jessica Thalman, gallery assistant.
“Being in this space having this presence makes students understand art in a phsyical way where they wouldn’t necessary be able to in a classroom,” she said.
The artists of Blue Republic will return to the University of Toronto Scarborough campus September 22 to collaborate with students on an outdoor project. The project is an extension of their Water Drawings series, where they will use water to draw on buildings, sidewalks and other surfaces across campus.
