Plaza Desventura
Jan 26
Jan 28 2024
exhibition in-person
See Details
Free
Jan 26, 2024
6:00pm 8:00pm
17 Withrow Avenue, Rear, Toronto
Jan 19Fri Closed
Jan 20Sat Closed
Jan 21Sun Closed
Jan 22Mon Closed
Jan 23Tue Closed
Jan 24Wed Closed
Jan 25Thu Closed
Jan 26Fri 11:00am 5:00pm
Jan 27Sat 11:00am 5:00pm
Jan 28Sun 11:00am 5:00pm

Laure + Dick + Neo’s ‘Plaza Desventura’ began as an augmented reality (AR) work relating to specific sites in Toronto & Mexico City. It was developed through a residency at Digital Arts Resource Centre for the online exhibit ‘tendercircuits.ca’.

The project re-animates derelict urban infrastructure, repurposing two artifacts in the virtual world: Toronto’s Cherry Street bridge-control building becomes a bobbing render of a mock condo unit in an unbuilt high-rise; the waterless fountain trapped in a cloverleaf of Mexico City’s elevated ring road becomes a clunky helicopter.

Meant to be viewed from atop footbridges (whose own framework is graphically enhanced through colour-coded AR filters relating to the two animations), the project calls up the contemporary reality of anonymized persons self-segregating in the same (non-)place. In initial research, Laure + Dick + Neo photographed the sites extensively and then made schematic drawings, sculptural pieces and posters with QR codes linked to an Instagram site—all meant to grant easier access to the AR and graft it back into its complex surroundings. All this will be on display in this studio exhibition.

Participants

Richard Moszka, Lauren Schaffer, Roberto Gutierrez (N3O)

Accessibility

Who should visitors contact with questions regarding accessibility?
Lauren Schaffer
Are designated parking spots for persons with disabilities close to the entrance of the building?
Yes
Can people get to the venue using accessible transit?
Yes
red double crystal-like form graphic with QR code embedded on black background
The Justin trigger for Plaza Desventura
red wheel fountain AR model at night against the footbridge and figures back
still of The Justin on the Pape Street footbridge from Plaza Desventura
black poster with white double cube graphics pasted onto the concrete wall and sky in background
The Saydie trigger poster on the Pape footbridge for Plaza Desventura
cropped image of black and white AR model of modern stripped architecture set against a footbridge in CDMX
The Saydie on Buenavista footbridge for Plaza Desventura
line drawing in red, white and blue lines against black of footbridge in CDMX
footbridge drawings for Plaza Desventura
round fountain with green bottom off road in CDMX with imagined schemata of its rotation and elevation for Plaza Desventura
fountain schemata for Plaza Desventura