844/900 - Zarish
Toronto has a multitude of natural ravines scattered throughout, most of them having cycling/exercise trails. Although they are not connected, cyclists can traverse the city by “hopping” from one ravine trail to another, using city streets and cemeteries to connect the ride.
We are currently hosting the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games (www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/18826947833/in/dateposted/) and today more than 7000 athletes and another 3000 coaches and support staff began moving into the Athlete’s Village near downtown. They come from North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. As is the case with any city hosting a major event like this, a large sum of money (both public and private) has been spent to prepare the city, including housing, venues for the events, and various less-directly related infrastructure improvements which are getting a “boost” from the excitement.
One such project is the Pan Am Trail which is a project to improve the ravine trails I mentioned above and to connect some of them together with signage. Today my wife and I were cycling the trails in Toronto’s east end and were unexpectedly confronted by a group of young people working on a project in the ravine running through the University of Toronto Scarborough campus.
Surprised, we stopped biking and I approached a man loading up a van parked nearby and asked “Is this an art installation?” “It sure is” he said, “and this is one of the artists,” pointing to the woman you see above. Meet Zarish.
Zarish explained that the installation is one of several being placed along the Pan Am path system. It is titled “Fairgrounds” and as she explained, it is made up of four artistically designed kinetoscopes (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetoscope). The kinetoscope was a precursor of movies. A wheel with figures is spun and viewed through a slot to create the impression of motion. The kinetoscopes which Zairsh and her project colleagues (see comment group photo) had just finished installing are all themed with sporting events as part of the Pan Am celebrations. They were the winners of a design contest and, as was explained to me, they did the project as a democratic team, voting on all major decisions. Key to the team was the man I first approached, Joel, a contractor who carried the concept to its physical form. Zarish and her friends spoke with reverence about Joel, explaining that the project could not have happened without him. Joel, on the other hand, was quite modest in manner and gave the major credit to the artists.
Of course I couldn’t resist inviting Zarish to be part of my photo project even though I only had my cell phone with me on the bicycle and the area was harsh, open sunlight. She was happy to join in and posed for a few photos, including the group photo. Zarish is 25 and a graduate in Studio Art with a minor in City Studies – an ideal combination for such a project. Her collaborators, some still in university, were equally qualified for the project. I learned that Zarish came to Canada from her native Pakistan seven years ago to pursue her university education. I really liked her “artsy,” creative style and she was super friendly and proud of her group’s project. She told me that my wife and I were the first members of the public to see it as they had just put the finishing touches on the installation. Joel pointed out that we were in a place of honor to be first viewers – and we certainly felt that way.
Click here for more about the artists: harthouse.ca/pan-am-path-artists/
Click here for more about the project: harthouse.ca/pan-am-path/
Thank you Zarish for taking the time to chat and for participating in 100 Strangers. You are #844 in Round 9 of my project. It was a real treat to meet all of you and to be the initial audience for your great project. I’m sure many more will pass by and stop to admire and interact with “Fairgrounds.”
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by the other photographers in our group at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
844/900 - Zarish
Toronto has a multitude of natural ravines scattered throughout, most of them having cycling/exercise trails. Although they are not connected, cyclists can traverse the city by “hopping” from one ravine trail to another, using city streets and cemeteries to connect the ride.
We are currently hosting the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games (www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/18826947833/in/dateposted/) and today more than 7000 athletes and another 3000 coaches and support staff began moving into the Athlete’s Village near downtown. They come from North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. As is the case with any city hosting a major event like this, a large sum of money (both public and private) has been spent to prepare the city, including housing, venues for the events, and various less-directly related infrastructure improvements which are getting a “boost” from the excitement.
One such project is the Pan Am Trail which is a project to improve the ravine trails I mentioned above and to connect some of them together with signage. Today my wife and I were cycling the trails in Toronto’s east end and were unexpectedly confronted by a group of young people working on a project in the ravine running through the University of Toronto Scarborough campus.
Surprised, we stopped biking and I approached a man loading up a van parked nearby and asked “Is this an art installation?” “It sure is” he said, “and this is one of the artists,” pointing to the woman you see above. Meet Zarish.
Zarish explained that the installation is one of several being placed along the Pan Am path system. It is titled “Fairgrounds” and as she explained, it is made up of four artistically designed kinetoscopes (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetoscope). The kinetoscope was a precursor of movies. A wheel with figures is spun and viewed through a slot to create the impression of motion. The kinetoscopes which Zairsh and her project colleagues (see comment group photo) had just finished installing are all themed with sporting events as part of the Pan Am celebrations. They were the winners of a design contest and, as was explained to me, they did the project as a democratic team, voting on all major decisions. Key to the team was the man I first approached, Joel, a contractor who carried the concept to its physical form. Zarish and her friends spoke with reverence about Joel, explaining that the project could not have happened without him. Joel, on the other hand, was quite modest in manner and gave the major credit to the artists.
Of course I couldn’t resist inviting Zarish to be part of my photo project even though I only had my cell phone with me on the bicycle and the area was harsh, open sunlight. She was happy to join in and posed for a few photos, including the group photo. Zarish is 25 and a graduate in Studio Art with a minor in City Studies – an ideal combination for such a project. Her collaborators, some still in university, were equally qualified for the project. I learned that Zarish came to Canada from her native Pakistan seven years ago to pursue her university education. I really liked her “artsy,” creative style and she was super friendly and proud of her group’s project. She told me that my wife and I were the first members of the public to see it as they had just put the finishing touches on the installation. Joel pointed out that we were in a place of honor to be first viewers – and we certainly felt that way.
Click here for more about the artists: harthouse.ca/pan-am-path-artists/
Click here for more about the project: harthouse.ca/pan-am-path/
Thank you Zarish for taking the time to chat and for participating in 100 Strangers. You are #844 in Round 9 of my project. It was a real treat to meet all of you and to be the initial audience for your great project. I’m sure many more will pass by and stop to admire and interact with “Fairgrounds.”
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by the other photographers in our group at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.