LEGOmetropolitan: Block Party
A magical 100,000 brick “block party” comes to Cabbagetown’s Akasha Art Projects in time for the holidays
Toronto,
November 20, 2018
Akasha Art Projects is pleased to present LEGOmetropolitan Block Party, the joint creation of Toronto sculptor Raymond Girard and photographer Laird Kay.
The site-specific sculptural and photographic installation is made up of over 100,000 LEGOTM bricks and weaves through the entire new Akasha Art Projects space in Toronto’s Cabbagetown.
“I’ve always wanted to build with LEGO on a truly architectural scale,” says Raymond Girard, “and the new Akasha Art Projects space gave me the perfect opportunity to weave architectural elements throughout the volumes. The colours and patterns of the 50’-0” ombré beams I’ve created was inspired by fashion house Missoni’s colours and patterns”.
The beams converge on a photographic tapestry on the floor created by Toronto photographer Laird Kay. “It’s like a birds eye view of LEGOmetropolitan”, says Laird. “The tapestry – and the other photos of LEGOmetropoltian exhibited throughout the gallery, are inspired by my passion for aviation photography – it’s as though you’re flying into and through a rainbow-hued fantasy skyline.”
“We’re thrilled to have Raymond and Laird’s Instagram friendly and colourful interventions take over our new space,” says Sonja Scharf, curator at Akasha Art Projects. “The idea of weaving bricks throughout our gallery and holding a :block party”… both align perfectly with our desire to become an integral part of our city and community”.
Raymond has also created a series of desktop-sized architectural follies rendered in LEGO bricks specifically for the show to complement Laird’s photographs of abstract LEGOmetropolitan fantasy skylines.
LEGOmetropolitan Block Party was co-curated by Sarah Beatty from FOLLIO art consulting. It runs until December 22nd.
For information or interview requests re; LEGOmetropolitan Block Party at Akasha Art Projects, please contact:
Artists:
Raymond Girard and Laird Kay
416-560-0956
Gallery / Curator:
Akasha Art Projects
Sonja Scharf
647-348-0104
Co-curator:
Follio Art Consulting Inc.
Sarah Beatty Russell
647-229-7399
Akasha Art Projects strives to curate exhibitions that create discourse around contemporary art practices. Although the gallery places an emphasis on lens/photographic based works, we do showcase innovative mixed media projects periodically throughout our exhibition year.
Raymond Girard, is a contemporary artist/ builder who lives and works in Toronto, Canada. From a young age, Raymond has had a keen interest in architecture. Inspired by buildings and skylines around the globe, he has chosen the Lego brick as his medium. Girard's artwork is included in numerous private art collections throughout Canada, the U.S. and South America. Girard has been commissioned to build large-scale sculptural installation for at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Holt Renfrew and the Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre in Hamilton. Girard has been featured in the Toronto Star, Chatelaine, Globe and Mail and Canadian Interiors.
Laird Kay is Toronto based aviation photographer who loves to photograph all things that move, and to focus on the abstracted design details and inherent beauty of industrial machines. He has worked with airlines and airports including Lufthansa, Air Canada, TAP Air Portugal, Paris Aéroports, and Frankfurt Airport. His work has been published in enRoute magazine, Monocle magazine, and is in art collections in North America, Europe, and the U.A.E.
Social media:
@lairdkay
@legometropolitan
@akashaart
Please use hashtags:
#legometropolitan
#akashaart
#akashablockparty
