A STEPS KINETIC SCULPTURES IN TORONTO PROJECT

Light Strainers

Light Strainers transforms a banal utility object common to kitchens everywhere – the colander. Each kinetic sculpture in Toronto, located at three Bloor Street parkettes features a different arrangement of colander columns, through which projected light creates a mesmerizing loop of shifting patterns.

ProJECT At A Glance

Location: Bloor Street West and Brunswick Avenue (Rexall), Bloor Street West and Major Street (Sleep Country), and Bloor Street West and Robert Street (24 hrs Metro) all located in Toronto

Artists: Chris Foster and Layne Hinton

Year: 2021

Services: Creative Placemaking, Main Street Recovery

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colanders, strainers, and baskets used for all 3 sculptures

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parkettes animated

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paid opportunities for Canadian artists and arts workers

Kinetic Sculptures in Toronto Project Video

PROJECT DETAILS

The Toronto Bloor Annex BIA worked with STEPS and artists Chris Foster and Layne Hinton to develop a series of kinetic sculptures to add vibrancy and light to the neighbourhood’s brand new parkettes during the darker winter months. This project also imagines art that the local community could safely engage with during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Photography Credit: Sharon Mendonca

Gesturing towards the challenges faced by restaurants in the Annex and the world during the pandemic, Light Strainers transforms a banal utility object common to kitchens everywhere – the colander. Each sculpture features a different arrangement of colander columns, through which projected light creates a mesmerizing loop of shifting patterns.

The kinetic light sculptures are on display from March 18th until July 8th, 2021 at the following locations:

• the South-East corner of the intersection of Bloor Street West and Brunswick Avenue (Rexall),
• the South-West corner of the intersection of Bloor Street West and Major Street (Sleep Country) and
• the South-East corner of the intersection of Bloor Street West and Robert Street (24 hrs Metro).

Take a stroll if you are in the area to witness the magic created by the projected light (and tag @STEPSpublicart, @explorebloorannex and #LightStrainers to share your photos)!

Video Credit: Selina McCallum

About The Artists

Chris Foster and Layne Hinton are Toronto-based multidisciplinary artists who are partners in life and occasional partners in art. Together they create site-responsive installations that investigate the histories, materials and architectures of the built environment.

Foster received an interdisciplinary BFA from NSCAD University in 2008. He is one half of the artist collective Lake Effect Projects. His artwork has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Ontario Place, YYZ Artists’ Outlet, and Nuit Blanche.

Hinton holds a BFA from OCAD University and has exhibited work locally at the Art Gallery of Ontario, InterAccess, and Pleasure Dome, and abroad at the Hermitage Museum Russia, University of Buffalo SUNY and Mono No Aware NYC. She is also the Co-Director and Co-Curator of Art Spin, an organization that presents site-specific and temporary public art projects in unique spaces.

Project Partners