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Home is where the art is
Lisa Van de Ven, National Post
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2009
It's called Fantasm. When installed, it will measure 8x12 feet, a grid of warped glass, encased by 96 cast bronze frames. Behind the glass, abstract images are displayed on a series of LCD screens, providing a play of light and moving images. "The original concept was to relate to the cinema in a way," says New Brunswick-based artist Peter Powning, Fantasm's creator.
Mr. Powning created Fantasm as a piece of art to be examined and perhaps inspire thought from those who view it. But Fantasm isn't headed to a gallery or museum space any time soon. A piece of it, in fact, is already on display in the sales office for Festival Tower, a mixed-use condominium project - and the future offices of the Toronto International Film Festival Group - currently underway by the Daniels Corp. and filmmaker Ivan Reitman and the Reitman family. When the project's completed, the Powning sculpture will take its place in the condominium's lobby, acting as a dramatic visual welcome mat, of sorts, for residents and their guests. "It's great for the community," says Tom Dutton, senior vice-president of Daniels. "It really sets the building's personality and creates a sense of place."
Much like interesting architecture or interior design, original art such as Fantasm can distinguish a condominium, and even increase the value of a purchaser's investment.
It's something commercial real estate developers have long realized. Now, residential developers are catching on, often spurred by their interest in creating a signature feature in their buildings.
For those residential developers, art is more than an afterthought. It's substantially linked to the project as a whole. As artist and author Douglas Coupland puts it: "It gives it a soul."
Paolo Palamara, co-president of the Diamante Development Corp., agrees. Art is central to his Florian project. There, two photographic prints, embedded in resin bases - both by Australian artist James McGrath - are displayed in the site's Yorkville sales office. One of them, Ombra, has even been integrated into the site's marketing literature and will one day be in its lobby. The print depicts a piece of tapestry falling from the top of the frame, set against an architectural background. The Renaissance feel of it echoes the building itself, says Mr. Palamara. "Art can be just a soothing, calming piece, where the colours match with the colours of the sofa, and the colours of the wallpaper behind," he adds. "Or you can reclaim the whole thought process behind the project and behind an area."
Mr. Palamara believes that art becomes integrally tied to the project it's part of, and how prospective buyers see a site. It's a view shared by Mazyar Mortazavi, principal of TAS DesignBuild, who made art integral to the developer's Giraffe site. There, TAS has partnered with Toronto's LE Gallery to turn the sales office into a gallery space, with curated exhibits and art education sessions. The project is linked to the art and Mr. Mortazavi - who is in talks with the gallery to continue the partnership post-construction - expects that it will continue to be so after the building goes up.
Art, says Mr. Mortazavi, is a natural extension of the home environment at Giraffe. "It is one of the layers that adds to that experience," he says.
Art need not be relegated to the inside of a building, though. Public art engages all residents of the city, whether they live in a condo building or not. Anyone walking by can stop to look at Flow Blue, a multi-faceted artwork consisting of a bas-relief of trees and LED-lit fence panels at the Met at Yonge and Carlton streets. From farther away, pedestrians can enjoy the Harbinger light beacon that changes colours according to wind speeds.
And there's Mr. Coupland's Monument to the War of 1812, outside the Malibu at Harbourfront condominium near Fort York, and Alexander Moyle's bronze sculpture Dormez Vous?, located at the entrance to Tridel and Hullmark's Meridian Residences. Public pieces like these, says Mr. Coupland, add to a project, but also to the city as a whole. "You go to places that don't have art ... it's like getting lost inside a photocopier," he says.
For Toronto developers, public art is often part of negotiations with the city, which will trade certain rezoning allowances for public art contributions. It's up to the developers themselves whether they simply want to give over the cash involved or become part of the art selection process. "Some developers put their arms around it and really run with it," says Karen Mills of Public Art Management, who consults with developers on public art contributions. "It's an identifier for a developer or a development."
What developers typically say, Ms. Mills says, "is that it adds value to the development."
Mark Mandelbaum thinks it does. The chairman of Lanterra Developments is in the midst of several public art projects at his sites across the city. Last year, the developer unveiled Immigrant Family, a sculpture by Tom Otterness, located outside of Lanterra's 18 Yonge project. Now, Mr. Mandelbaum and his team are working with internationally renowned artist Vito Acconci at WaterParkCity, and with Toronto artist Barbara Astman at Murano, who will integrate photographic film directly into the building's glass curtain wall.
"Infusing the building with art enhances the value of the building and we should take the trouble to do that," Mr. Mandelbaum says. "And we have in each of our buildings."
So, what does it all mean to the artist? For Mr. Powning, the sculptor behind Fantasm (as well as Light Spirals, a sculpture outside of the Residences of College Park), the relationship between artists and developers can be mutually beneficial: not only for the artists and developers themselves, but for every resident of the city.
"It builds a visual culture that connects the built culture," Mr. Powning says.
Lisa Van de Ven, National Post
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2009
It's called Fantasm. When installed, it will measure 8x12 feet, a grid of warped glass, encased by 96 cast bronze frames. Behind the glass, abstract images are displayed on a series of LCD screens, providing a play of light and moving images. "The original concept was to relate to the cinema in a way," says New Brunswick-based artist Peter Powning, Fantasm's creator.
Mr. Powning created Fantasm as a piece of art to be examined and perhaps inspire thought from those who view it. But Fantasm isn't headed to a gallery or museum space any time soon. A piece of it, in fact, is already on display in the sales office for Festival Tower, a mixed-use condominium project - and the future offices of the Toronto International Film Festival Group - currently underway by the Daniels Corp. and filmmaker Ivan Reitman and the Reitman family. When the project's completed, the Powning sculpture will take its place in the condominium's lobby, acting as a dramatic visual welcome mat, of sorts, for residents and their guests. "It's great for the community," says Tom Dutton, senior vice-president of Daniels. "It really sets the building's personality and creates a sense of place."
Much like interesting architecture or interior design, original art such as Fantasm can distinguish a condominium, and even increase the value of a purchaser's investment.
It's something commercial real estate developers have long realized. Now, residential developers are catching on, often spurred by their interest in creating a signature feature in their buildings.
For those residential developers, art is more than an afterthought. It's substantially linked to the project as a whole. As artist and author Douglas Coupland puts it: "It gives it a soul."
Paolo Palamara, co-president of the Diamante Development Corp., agrees. Art is central to his Florian project. There, two photographic prints, embedded in resin bases - both by Australian artist James McGrath - are displayed in the site's Yorkville sales office. One of them, Ombra, has even been integrated into the site's marketing literature and will one day be in its lobby. The print depicts a piece of tapestry falling from the top of the frame, set against an architectural background. The Renaissance feel of it echoes the building itself, says Mr. Palamara. "Art can be just a soothing, calming piece, where the colours match with the colours of the sofa, and the colours of the wallpaper behind," he adds. "Or you can reclaim the whole thought process behind the project and behind an area."
Mr. Palamara believes that art becomes integrally tied to the project it's part of, and how prospective buyers see a site. It's a view shared by Mazyar Mortazavi, principal of TAS DesignBuild, who made art integral to the developer's Giraffe site. There, TAS has partnered with Toronto's LE Gallery to turn the sales office into a gallery space, with curated exhibits and art education sessions. The project is linked to the art and Mr. Mortazavi - who is in talks with the gallery to continue the partnership post-construction - expects that it will continue to be so after the building goes up.
Art, says Mr. Mortazavi, is a natural extension of the home environment at Giraffe. "It is one of the layers that adds to that experience," he says.
Art need not be relegated to the inside of a building, though. Public art engages all residents of the city, whether they live in a condo building or not. Anyone walking by can stop to look at Flow Blue, a multi-faceted artwork consisting of a bas-relief of trees and LED-lit fence panels at the Met at Yonge and Carlton streets. From farther away, pedestrians can enjoy the Harbinger light beacon that changes colours according to wind speeds.
And there's Mr. Coupland's Monument to the War of 1812, outside the Malibu at Harbourfront condominium near Fort York, and Alexander Moyle's bronze sculpture Dormez Vous?, located at the entrance to Tridel and Hullmark's Meridian Residences. Public pieces like these, says Mr. Coupland, add to a project, but also to the city as a whole. "You go to places that don't have art ... it's like getting lost inside a photocopier," he says.
For Toronto developers, public art is often part of negotiations with the city, which will trade certain rezoning allowances for public art contributions. It's up to the developers themselves whether they simply want to give over the cash involved or become part of the art selection process. "Some developers put their arms around it and really run with it," says Karen Mills of Public Art Management, who consults with developers on public art contributions. "It's an identifier for a developer or a development."
What developers typically say, Ms. Mills says, "is that it adds value to the development."
Mark Mandelbaum thinks it does. The chairman of Lanterra Developments is in the midst of several public art projects at his sites across the city. Last year, the developer unveiled Immigrant Family, a sculpture by Tom Otterness, located outside of Lanterra's 18 Yonge project. Now, Mr. Mandelbaum and his team are working with internationally renowned artist Vito Acconci at WaterParkCity, and with Toronto artist Barbara Astman at Murano, who will integrate photographic film directly into the building's glass curtain wall.
"Infusing the building with art enhances the value of the building and we should take the trouble to do that," Mr. Mandelbaum says. "And we have in each of our buildings."
So, what does it all mean to the artist? For Mr. Powning, the sculptor behind Fantasm (as well as Light Spirals, a sculpture outside of the Residences of College Park), the relationship between artists and developers can be mutually beneficial: not only for the artists and developers themselves, but for every resident of the city.
"It builds a visual culture that connects the built culture," Mr. Powning says.
