Why I Love Garden of Future Follies: An artistic heritage mash-up Doors Open TorontoTwo years a

Why I Love Garden of Future Follies: An artistic heritage mash-up

 Doors Open Toronto

Two years ago, as I explored Osgoode Hall for Doors Open Toronto, I noticed a group of people taking a cast of the Great Library’s fireplace. Curious, I asked a representative what was going on and was told it was part of an exciting installation by Berlin-based artists Hadley+Maxwell called Garden of Future Follies, now on display in Toronto’s Canary District.

(Image from OCAD)

The garden took two years to complete and today is a beautiful artistic display allowing Torontonians to get up close and personal with the detailing of our most breathtaking pieces of architecture and sculptures.

Artist intent

The installation is based on the fanciful gardens and landscape ornaments of 18^th and 19^th century France and England. The sculpture installation is composed of parts from monuments, sculptures and architecture from across Toronto. The fragments were rearranged to create a piece of art, merging elements of our stunning heritage usually physically out of reach or in places the public can’t access. This work is important as it pays homage to those sculptors, masonries and architects who helped build this city and whose work sometimes goes unnoticed.

(Image from Art Cast) 

The process and final product

The process of creating this fantastical garden is also interesting. At Osgoode Hall the individuals took a mold of the fireplace by using a cinefoil process where thick aluminum foil material was pressed against the object to create an impression used to create a mold. The final product saw 235 cast bronze pieces welded into seven sculptures. Other monuments included in these seven sculptures include:

• Adam Beck Memorial
• Equestrian Statue of Edward VII
• Gargoyles of 299 Queen Street West (Bell Media)
• A bell from St. James Cathedral
• Canon from For York.

(Image from Spacing)

I highly encourage heading to the Canary District and exploring the Garden of Future Follies. Get up close and look at the intricate detailing of the selected fragmented pieces and appreciate the artistry and dedication of the men and women who contributed to our city’s beauty.