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the Toronto Design Offsite Festival. Operating under the trade name DesignTO.
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2022

Festival Schedule

January 21–30, 2022

The 2022 DesignTO Festival Continues, Distanced & Digital

The DesignTO Festival happens online and in-person at venues across the City of Toronto. Most events and exhibitions are free, but some require a RSVP or purchased tickets. All window installations are viewable from the outdoors. COVID precautions vary per event; click on each event to learn more.

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'(murmur)' is an interactive installation of bobbing floral fabric entities inspired by the form and movement of marine organisms and the fluttering of petals. It reacts to the presence of people, drawing energy and life from its curious viewers.
(murmur)
in-person
window installation
(murmur)
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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‘A Chance Encounter’ brings together Voisine/Voisin’s collection of everyday objects with everyone's favourite house guests - Plants! Each object is hand made with care and full of personalities to bring warmth and joy into spaces.
A Chance Encounter
in-person
window installation
A Chance Encounter
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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‘A Dream of Home’ is a window installation that brings to life a Caribbean escape reality brought on by home sickness. The installation conceptualizes a surreal experience of being transported to the Caribbean using digital and physical elements.
A Dream of Home
in-person
window installation
A Dream of Home
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Stone': A square revolved. A bowl & pill represented as stackable geometric vessels. 'Trio': A patterned, steel pipe repeated as little as possible. Three identical pieces are fitted together to create the distinctive triangle shape. Each pipe is carefully machined, bent, & welded
Anony X Milky’s
in-person
exhibition
[CANCELLED]
Anony X Milky’s
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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‘Artifacts of Grief’ invites visitors to understand, question and process our individual and collective grief. To spark conversations and storytelling, this is an invitation to explore and create expressions of individual and collective grief and grieving.
Artifacts of Grief
in-person
exhibition
Artifacts of Grief
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Assembly Line' is a window installation that invites co-creation between industrial robots and human participants. Audience members may submit gestures to a virtual assembly line, highlighting the short-lived nature of mechanical effort.
Assembly Line
in-person
window installation
Assembly Line
Jan 21
–
Jan 29 2022
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So much pottery uses glazes and colour to add a decorative layer. Bare Bones presents an opportunity to explore the colour and texture of clay. It's a chance to allow the raw clay to speak, allowing the viewer to really concentrate on form and surface texture.
Bare Bones X Aquavato
in-person
window installation
Bare Bones X Aquavato
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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BEAT MIX includes three to five featured guests who are stationed in specific zones throughout the showroom. Participants have the opportunity to interact with the featured guests and meet a succession of individuals in small groups throughout the evening.
BEAT // MIX with Global Furniture
online
event: talk
BEAT // MIX with Global Furniture
Feb 16 2022
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Exploring the importance of in-person social interaction and the innate urge to connect with nature in a digital age, 'Biophilia' is a display of traditional hand cut paper artwork by Nathalie Kraemer.
Biophilia
in-person
exhibition
Biophilia
Mar 02
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Interpreting design objects as a powerful language through which social reality is affirmed, ‘But I Don’t Want Comfort’ abandons the focus on utility and function and uses form and sound to explore the spaces between efficiency, excess, history, and future.
But I Don’t Want Comfort
in-person
exhibition
But I Don’t Want Comfort
Jan 21
–
Jan 31 2022
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'Cli’mate Change' is an interactive light display that connects people and climate. It highlights our true nature and personal connection to the natural world and the communities where we live. A compelling reflection of what we should nurture and cherish.
Cli’mate Change
in-person
window installation
[CANCELLED]
Cli’mate Change
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Connective Tissue' is a group show that investigates technology as a tool of emotionality. These artist and designer's practices recall, rewrite, and remix intersections with technology in order to demonstrate its influence and reassert our role in its use.
Connective Tissue
in-person
exhibition
Connective Tissue
Apr 27
–
May 08 2022
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Contemporary wood-turner Andreas Krätschmer presents an installation of 12 turned, carved and burned sculptural vessels. Influenced by the growing amount of wildfires in Canada and around the world, ‘Consumed’ explores themes of fragility, resilience, and the human relation with nature.
Consumed
in-person
window installation
Consumed
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Take a journey into Canada’s geological past without leaving the city! 'Core Shadows' is a lighting installation inspired by Ontario’s natural landscape and the human interaction that has altered it throughout time.
Core Shadows
in-person
window installation
[CANCELLED]
Core Shadows
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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The purpose of this shopper bag that resembles the classic plastic bag isn’t just to be used as a more sustainable option that carries a sense of nostalgia. It was re-imagined to remind us of our toxic relationship with plastic.
Crisis of Convenience [w.a.s.t.e]
in-person
window installation
Crisis of Convenience [w.a.s.t.e]
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Anishnaabe artist Que Rock has created a temporary mural on the University of Toronto Daniels Faculty north façade to honour the 215 children found at a residential school in Kamloops, BC, and continue to be found across Turtle Island.
Daniels Mural Project
in-person
window installation
Daniels Mural Project
Nov 08 2021
–
Jun 30 2022
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Join TORP and leading members of the Danish and Canadian architecture & design communities for a live virtual panel discussion on sustainable practices in architecture and furniture design & production. Danish Desire will also feature a furniture design exhibit at TORP’s Toronto showroom.
Danish Desire: Sustainable Methods in Architecture & Design
online
event: talk
Danish Desire: Sustainable Methods in Architecture & Design
Jan 22 2022
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Kick off the annual DesignTO Festival with its official Launch Party in the King East Design District, structured as a roaming neighbourhood party anchored by five Party Hubs.
DesignTO Launch Party 2022
in-person
DesignTO projectevent: party
[POSTPONED]
DesignTO Launch Party 2022
Jan 21 2022
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Discover three installations in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood that explore ideas of interconnectedness, modularity, and relationality. On this walking tour with DesignTO, hear from multidisciplinary artist/designer Norwin Anne, artist Tracey-Mae Chambers, and design studio Unitfive.
DesignTO Tours: Building Blocks
in-person
DesignTO projectevent: tour
[CANCELLED]
DesignTO Tours: Building Blocks
Jan 29 2022
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The reworking of Lauren Schaffer's 2019 Halifax exhibition, 'Dirty Sweep', will take place in her Toronto studio.
Dirty Sweep
in-person
exhibition
Dirty Sweep
Jan 21
–
Feb 13 2022
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Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, a window and showroom will be transformed into 'NODALAND' celebrating creativity through the use of colour and texture. The installation will feature oversized mushrooms and decorative flowers as part of a tea party themed display.
Down the Rabbit hole…down…down…down to NodaLand
in-person
window installation
Down the Rabbit hole…down…down…down to NodaLand
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Dying.dialogues' is a symposium on design and fragility, death, dying, loss, and grief, as part of Dying.series.
Dying.dialogues 2022
in-person
event: talk
[CANCELLED]
Dying.dialogues 2022
Jan 29 2022
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‘Dying.exhibits’ is an exhibition series on end of life, inviting participants to think about their relationship with life and death through art and design. Let’s get comfortable with the uncomfortable and start talking about what truly matters.
Dying.exhibits 2022
in-person
exhibition
[CANCELLED]
Dying.exhibits 2022
Sep 07
–
Sep 25 2022
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Susan Campbell’s exhibition, 'Enclosure + Exclusion: A Visual Treatise', considers how urban environments are manipulated and shaped. Campbell’s process of apprehending inscriptions and boundary marks found on-site explores societal patterns of impermanence and exclusion.
Enclosure + Exclusion: A Visual Treatise
in-person
exhibition
Enclosure + Exclusion: A Visual Treatise
Jul 13
–
Jul 31 2022
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Ceramic works by Reza Hosseiny that call into question those who demand equality of men and women, but are complacent spectators in practice and who refuse to take action. As a hard material, Hosseiny uses ceramic to speak to the reluctance of humans to change.
Equality or Quantity?! A Question by Reza Hosseiny
online
exhibition
Equality or Quantity?! A Question by Reza Hosseiny
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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This installation by Mason Studio explores human connection through shared memory and sensory experience. Using commonly found materials, the installation transports you to another place to experience a sense of calm and reverence for forces larger than ourselves.
Full Moon Reflected On The Ocean At 01:34
in-person
exhibition
Full Moon Reflected On The Ocean At 01:34
Jan 27
–
Jan 30 2022
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Following up on the 6 years of success participating in the DesignTO Festival, Sylvia Lee of Jeff Goodman Studio is launching 'GEO', a cluster of hand blown glass wall lights inspired by river rocks that are worn smooth by water and time.
GEO
in-person
window installation
GEO
Jan 21
–
Feb 07 2022
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'Geographies and Geometries' looks to our surrounding environment, the physical geography and its built form for inspiration. The architectural shapes are grounded and simplified to contrast against an uneven, imperfect, human hand sewn stitch.
Geometries and Geographies
in-person
exhibition
Geometries and Geographies
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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An installation by Applied Studio that focuses on the nature of human interaction during the pandemic. The perfect view is only possible from one location and the installation should be explored to discover the kaleidoscopic array of colours, shadows and reflections.
Glass Free
in-person
window installation
[POSTPONED]
Glass Free
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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To debut his new floor pillow collection Mark Krebs invites you to do nothing. Take your shoes off and relax in a pile of wool rugs and floor pillows under a canopy of mirrors. Lie down, look up!
Here & Now
in-person
exhibition
[CANCELLED]
Here & Now
Jan 18
–
Jan 30 2022
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'HOME Beautification signed by Yaw Tony' is the third installation and latest addition of everyday home decor pieces stamped art and design on everyday objects. Yet they are still practical objects that fall right into place in our daily lives.
HOME Beautification signed by Yaw Tony
in-person
exhibition
HOME Beautification signed by Yaw Tony
Jan 21
–
Feb 06 2022
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In ‘I Send You This Cadmium Red,’ the monochromes, grids, and chance operations that are emblematic of twentieth-century avant-garde art are reconstituted as a correspondence among colour swatches in the algorithmically organized Zoom interface that has become emblematic of this era of physically distanced sociability.
I Send You This Cadmium Red
in-person
window installation
I Send You This Cadmium Red
Jan 21 2022
–
Jan 13 2023
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For the 2022 DesignTO Festival, the Interdisciplinary Design Strategy students at the Institute without Boundaries, George Brown College, will showcase their research, insights and scenarios on their current research theme: Designing Climate Ready Communities.
Imagining Climate Ready Communities
online
exhibition
Imagining Climate Ready Communities
Jan 25
–
Jan 30 2022
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'In The Midst of Darkness, Nature Persists' is an explosively colourful installation by experimental fiber artist Leisa Rich of deer, butterflies, animals and nature and is a welcome respite from the dirty slush and oppression that winter can sometimes bring.
In The Midst of Darkness, Nature Persists
in-person
window installation
In The Midst of Darkness, Nature Persists
Jan 21
–
Mar 20 2022
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Join DesignTO for a celebration of design and community across the King East Design District! Structured as a roaming neighbourhood party anchored by five Party Hubs, the KEDD Party is a must-attend bash, bringing together hundreds of designers and design-lovers.
King East Design District Party presented by DesignTO 2022
in-person
DesignTO projectevent: party
King East Design District Party presented by DesignTO 2022
Apr 08 2022
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Wool as fine art is functional, atmospheric, sensorial and stands in front of a wall becoming part of the room, rather than behind it. A modern abstract wool mural, 'Lake Blue' is a visual invitation back into nature.
LAKE BLUE
in-person
window installation
LAKE BLUE
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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The familiar yet atypical nature of artistic design practice modifies our expectations of materiality and experience, which will be seen through ergonomic exploration and (re)fabrication of everyday things remade into new.
Libations for Liberated Living
in-person
exhibition
Libations for Liberated Living
Jan 21
–
Mar 06 2022
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The 'Lies We Are Told' series challenges the “truths” we were taught as children based on parental, religious and educational doctrines in literature and instructional pamphlets during the 1940s and 1950s.
Lies My Teacher Told Me
in-person
window installation
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Apr 08
–
Apr 22 2022
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With magic dreams, I ask three questions: Who stays when the fear hugs you? Who said that all that is, is what is true? What do you dream that is true to you? It is an invitation to join me in thinking about what is normal—to you.
magic dreams
in-person
exhibition
magic dreams
Mar 06
–
Mar 27 2022
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This window installation explores the idea that decades of minimalism is directly tied to the cultural erasure of all nations. By exploring Lithuanian textile patterns, artist Jade Usackas reconnects to her own heritage.
Minimalism & Crime – An Exploration of Cultural Identity
in-person
window installation
Minimalism & Crime – An Exploration of Cultural Identity
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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‘Monument’ is a collage-based installation attempting to catalogue and create a world in flux. Meditating on notions of authenticity and reality, the fantastical landscape re-contextualizes images taken from the ‘throw-away’ materials from past decades.
Monument
in-person
window installation
Monument
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Old World Shoes' is a celebration of independent shoe and shoe repair stores of Toronto by documentary photographer Henry VanderSpek. Come step inside Capri Shoes and encounter stories of design, craftsmanship and community through images, words and links to videos.
Old World Shoes: A Celebration of Independent Shoe and Shoe Repair Stores of Toronto
in-person
exhibition
Old World Shoes: A Celebration of Independent Shoe and Shoe Repair Stores of Toronto
Jan 21
–
Feb 19 2022
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'On Moss & Bottles' is an exhibition showing a selection of biodegradable sculptures from Gwenyth Chao’s 'Plasticity' series. Chao’s semi-transparent, ghostly casts of everyday plastic containers are installed on sustainably sourced moss and recycled plastic bottle carpet backing.
On Moss & Bottles
in-person
exhibition
On Moss & Bottles
Jan 21
–
Apr 10 2022
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Origin(al) celebrates the origin of chocolate + Soul Chocolate’s connection to this world through a thoughtful, finely crafted paper installation.
Origin(al)
in-person
window installation
Origin(al)
Jan 22
–
Jan 31 2022
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Introducing...the OSF SK8 GHOULZ! Here to haunt the ageist, patriarchal and white supremacist dreams of those excluding teenagers as radical producers of culture. This multimedia window display will push for inclusion and diversity in skateboard/ design culture.
OSF SK8 GHOULZ
in-person
window installation
[CANCELLED]
OSF SK8 GHOULZ
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Unitfive Design presents a window installation at Comrags. Using building blocks as a conceptual jumping off point, and fabricated from cold rolled square bar, the work will exist as a series of stackable units that explore proportion, scale, and texture.
OWEN
in-person
window installation
OWEN
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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The proposal seeks to reflect on global warming, the protagonists are the Pingüino family (vases made of ceramic) who are emigrating and moving between plastic bottles and bags, their context has changed from ice and icebergs to plastic mountains.
Penguins, pollution and migration, by Andrés Lhima
in-person
window installation
[CANCELLED]
Penguins, pollution and migration, by Andrés Lhima
Jan 22
–
Jan 30 2022
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Informed by the ‘Biographical Consequences of Activism’; as well as the artist’s own reflections on being a participant in multiple protest marches since 2003. ‘Protest Poster’ highlights and explores the history of protest posters through the use of historical fonts associated with important civil movements of the past.
Protest Poster
in-person
window installation
Protest Poster
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Cate McGuire explores collage as a means to reshape the meanings of found images by changing the way that they are seen. In this series, collaged images are built into larger arrangements or patterns.
putting things together
in-person
exhibition
putting things together
Sep 07
–
Sep 25 2022
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Kicking off the rejuvenation of programming at Harbourfront Centre, we have re-opened to the public with a series of refreshing exhibitions sure to pique your interest!
Refresh Rejuvenate Recover
in-person
exhibition
Refresh Rejuvenate Recover
Feb 22
–
Mar 20 2022
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'Sentinels and their Charge' reflects aspects of the alternative world created by Diana Thorneycroft. Grounded in the realm of contemporary fairy tales, the hybrid beings and their environments embrace the grotesque and the fantastic, and are often integrated into a storyline.
Sentinels and their Charge
in-person
window installation
Sentinels and their Charge
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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‘Shared Terrain’ is a group exhibition that fosters cultural exchange between the Nordic Region and Canada. This exhibition is structured around exchange and conversation between 10 creatives from distant locations who are collaborating with each other for the first time.
Shared Terrain
in-person
DesignTO projectexhibition
Shared Terrain
Mar 08
–
Mar 20 2022
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'Sling' is a collaboration between designer and woodworker Eric McBain and textile designer and artist Isabella Valeria Bontorin. To honour their connections to the objects that raised them, the duo engages in acts of restoration as a meditation on care for both process and material.
Sling
in-person
window installation
Sling
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'Soft Shield: Allegorical Spaces' is an exhibition of architectural provocations by Svima that explore spaces in relation to the mind, body, and environment, including large-scale digital visualizations, hand drawings, and a three-dimensional installation.
Soft Shield: Allegorical Spaces by Svima
in-person
exhibition
Soft Shield: Allegorical Spaces by Svima
Jan 20
–
Feb 06 2022
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'TERRAM' is an immersive art experience that invites you to an Earth-like planet overflowing with life. In partnership with the Ontario Science Centre, this exhibition by Victoria Fard delves into the themes of science and technology, climate crises, and the conservation of nature.
TERRAM
in-person
window installation
TERRAM
Jan 21
–
Feb 14 2022
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This collection of bright-white porcelain vessels by Laura Warren-Causton of b. side projects is the result of a meditative process created by intuitively building and shifting softly structured fine-grained clay into meticulously shaped works of sharp angles and curves that reflect the physicality of making pottery.
The Form Finds Me.
in-person
window installation
The Form Finds Me.
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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The Grief Gallery welcomes visitors to acknowledge personal and collective losses through the contemplation and celebration of objects: the belongings of loved ones lost. The community is invited to contribute to The Grief Gallery’s collection at the in-person exhibition at MADE Design and the online gallery wall at www.thegriefgallery.com
The Grief Gallery
in-person
exhibition
The Grief Gallery
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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'The Seeds We Sow' is dedicated to the aftermath of the Second Artsakh War in Armenia. This installation consists of over four thousand pomegranate seeds: each represents a life lost during the latest conflict in the region.
The Seeds We Sow
in-person
window installation
The Seeds We Sow
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Aiming to highlight the School of Interior Design (SID) Year End Show’s (YES) theme, “Un/filtered”, this virtual installation recreates a familiar SID studio environment displaying students’ work and showcasing an “un/filtered” setting. This action is communicated through an illusion formed by reflected surfaces, creating an infinite space within the limited square footage. 'The Un/familiar Familiar' invites spectators to experience a never-ending visual threshold that plays with light, textures, and foregrounds.
The Un/familiar Familiar
online
exhibition
The Un/familiar Familiar
Jan 22
–
Jan 30 2022
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'TORN' is a self-referential project that discusses personal struggle through material exploration. Using screen-printed linen, trauma-based artist Olivia Mae Sinclair shares intimate images and text about her relationship with herself others.
TORN
in-person
window installation
TORN
Jan 21
–
Jan 30 2022
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Peruvian based design studio D.A.R. Proyectos presents a series of handwoven glowing textile lamps. A window display is accompanied by an exhibition and talk, exploring the development of how state of the art technology is empowering traditional communities.
Weaving the Light
in-person
window installation
Weaving the Light
Jul 20
–
Sep 05 2022
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A collection of stories about how people have been experiencing parks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and looking towards how those relationships might have shifted. Share someone’s story, reflect, and share your own.
What If Parks Were Safe For Everyone?
in-person
exhibition
What If Parks Were Safe For Everyone?
Jun 27
–
Jul 09 2022
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'Yue Moon 完滿' is a community-engaged public art installation rooted in Toronto’s Chinatown as part of Lunar New Year celebrations. A series of co-created lanterns illustrate Chinatown's histories, memories and intentions for the new year through a luminous outdoor experience.
Yue Moon 完滿: Tiger With Wings 如虎添翼
in-person
exhibition
Yue Moon 完滿: Tiger With Wings 如虎添翼
Jan 27
–
Feb 28 2022
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Dedicated to all the children, this project is a physical and virtual escapade combining illustrations and design. Three fun, whimsical chaise sculptures aim to raise awareness about the importance of the "3Rs" and reflect on the future we are offering the young generations.
¡( What About the Kids | Et les enfants, alors !)
in-person
window installation
¡( What About the Kids | Et les enfants, alors !)
Apr 08
–
Apr 17 2022
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© 2025 DesignTO. All rights reserved. DesignTO is a registered trademark of
the Toronto Design Offsite Festival. Operating under the trade name DesignTO.
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