AGO Transformation transforms our views of Toronto
November 18th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
The AGO is not just for looking at. One of the things I like best about the new gallery is the way it makes Toronto — the city — as much a part of the gallery experience as the art inside. The Gehry addition (or “intervention” as I’ve been hearing it called) has opened new views to the north and south, and we’re getting to see the city in a way never seen before. To the north, the timber beams of the Galleria Italia frame the quintessential old Toronto homes along Dundas as if they are works of art themselves (perhaps they are). Apart from the occasional view stolen from somebody’s lucky second or third floor apartment, we usually don’t get to see a Toronto street from this angle.
Try this the next time you go to the AGO — walk along the south side of Dundas like you normally might do, looking at those houses along the north side. Then go into the gallery and up to the second floor and do the same thing. It’s remarkable to walk (nearly) an entire dense city block along the second floor of another building.
It’s like seeing Toronto for the first time, and simply altering the angle by a half dozen metres or so can radically change the perception of the city: I often forget to pay attention to the upper floors of these kinds of common buildings, but now I think I should do just that a lot more. So far I’ve been in this magnificent room about 5 times and have had the art pointed out and explained to me a few times but I can’t remember much about it because the city is so overwhelming (sorry, artists who made the art in Gallery Italia, I’ll pay attention to you next time for sure, it isn’t your fault).
From the back Toronto appears all around us, like we’re in the middle of the skyline rather than looking at it from afar. The concrete apartment slab directly south suddenly has a few thousand eyes a day peeping into their fishbowl lives — but as my art-companion said one day last week, “close enough to be interesting, but far enough away not to be explicit.” Looking west, the Victorian homes along Beverly facing the Grange look like the Toronto doppelganger of the famous Alamo Square view found in San Francisco (our “painted ladies” are brick and the skyline isn’t of downtown like in SF but of Etobicoke, somewhere off in the haze, rising above this wonderful stretch of Toronto urbanism).
As well, the new OCAD addition suddenly looks even more audacious (and weird and great) this close. The folks living in the apartments in the Village on the Grange on the east side of McCaul probably already know this, but now the rest of us do too. Looking out at the Grange, and Toronto, from the back Barnacle Staircase earlier today, the extent of Toronto’s development over the last few years was evident and not a little hometown pride welled up.
AGO welcomes New Canadians as very first guests in transformed gallery
November 17th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
When my father became a Canadian Citizen in 1980 I remember only two things clearly: getting the day off from kindergarten and the Mountie in full dress uniform standing impossibly still at the front of the room. I don’t remember much about the room itself (it was in an office on the upper floor of a nondescript downtown Windsor building), the details of the ceremony or who else was there (my family, I assume, but I can’t quite picture any humans save for that Mountie).
This past Friday the first official visitors on (re)opening day at the AGO were a group of New Canadians who became citizens in an Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) ceremony. The ICC is former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson’s legacy project. If the intention is to get people excited about becoming a Canadian, it’s a success. This was about as happy a room as I’ve ever been in.
I mentioned my 1980 story to the Mountie before everybody arrived, and perhaps went a bit overboard, saying he must be sutured into the memory of everybody who attends one of these events, and what an introduction to Canada he provides. He gave me a curious look, nodded, and said “yes, the uniform really is the symbol of Canada.”
I expected a citizenship judge to be somewhat officious and stern, but she sat at the front and started telling stories of what it is to be a Canadian, beginning with her own immigration experience from Italy in the 1950s. Then she told them about some of their rights, and then read from her personal collection of press clippings about the importance of voting and participating in Canadian culture (a “partnership” she called it). Apropos of the setting, she used the example of the Italian-Canadian donations to the Galleria Italia at the AGO as their “I love you” gift to Canada.
When you become a citizen these days, you get a flag, a “Canada bag” with a copy of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (that the judge will tell you to read) and when the oath of citizenship is taken (to the Queen of Canada), everybody says their personal name in unison. After the formal part was done, the judge had everyone yell “I Am Canadian” and wave their flags — just like a Molson Canadian commercial — and listed where everybody who took the oath was from (Albania, Angola, Brazil, China, Columbia, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Sudan, United States, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela) and had them wave their Canadian flag when their country was mentioned.
I might be a sucker for these sorts of things, but I liked the way the judge articulated citizenship for New Canadians — that they were not giving up their culture, but adding a new layer to it (but that their loyalty is to their new country). “Nobody was more proud than I was when Italy won the World Cup,” she said, using her own hyphenated identity as example. I’m sure there are those who disagree, but I think even those of us born in Canada should go through this, just as a reminder, and something that might increase voter turn-out at election time — or at least just sit in on one like I did. The feeling is infectious.
The other thing each New Canadian received was a free family pass to the AGO (and other Toronto museums). Throughout the ceremony, the judge and other speakers stressed how this was now their gallery too, and how the arts can and should be a part of their lives. Coming off a federal election where some of the campaign rhetoric implied that “ordinary” Canadians do not care about the arts, letting these folks know — from the first day they are citizens — that the arts are for them, seems like a good idea.
The other part is that the AGO — like that Mountie in 1980 — will now be inseparably sutured into their idea of what Canada is. That’s a considerably nicer memory than the fuzzy image of a windowless office with florescent lights and an acoustic drop ceiling that I have, and a bond that might produce some new Canadian artists in the coming years.
Opening Day
November 14th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
It’s opening day today and Dundas Street has the feel of one of the gala film festival openings with police directing traffic and people lined up down the block. Even at 1pm, there was a line under half of the entire Galleria Italia overhang (that front porch Gehry talked about yesterday) in anticipation of the 4pm grand public opening. Torontonians, it would seem, are excited and eager to get inside. Outside half of McCaul is closed down for a street party, and along the line a handful of artists were capturing the scene. After a few years of this stretch of Dundas being closed to the public, inhabited only by hard-hatted workers and big machines, it’s nice to see it so full of people again. As it should be.
The day the press corps came to the AGO
November 14th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
The AGO opened its doors the media yesterday with a press conference featuring Frank Gehry and Matthew Teitelbaum. Press previews are strange events — you can feel the anxiety in the room. Everybody is trying to get the quote and money shot they need, then hurry back and package it for the evening or morning news. As was pointed out to me by a television producer, it’s also a room full of rivals. If there ever was a crowd destined not to enjoy themselves, this was it — it’s work rather than a fun day at the gallery. Still, there seemed to be as many of the childlike awe-moments as there were during member preview days (looking up in the Walker Court at the new staircase, looking out the back of the Barnacle Staircase at a Toronto Skyline never seen from this angle). As you can read for yourself in the AGO in the news post below, the media have largely fallen in love with the building.
Gehry, looking very California casual, fielded questions for about a half hour, often joking about his Canadian and neighbourhood roots. At one point — a clip destined to be used for years to come — he said he thinks this is indeed a real Frank Gehry building.
Later I took a walking tour of the building with Craig Webb, one of the partners in Gehry’s firm. Most interesting is that Webb talked about the art as much as the building, indicating they spent a considerable amount of time thinking about what and who was going to into the building as much as what it looks like from the outside. Also while on the tour I got the feeling that Ken Thomson’s ghost is everywhere in the building. Webb and other Gehry architects seemed to get into his head and understand his personality so much that by mid point in the tour, I felt like I was walking through Thomson’s living room, looking at his various objects, laid out exactly the way he wanted.
For those that don’t have the patience or desire to follow a live Twitter feed, what follows are some of the (edited) notes I made during the day:
Walker court fills. Camera guys pushy for positions. Maybe last assignment was Afghanistan. Globe and Mail guy is “ok with staircase”
Flurry of music. Bankers, starchitect & CEO take stage. Under massive staircase, just hanging there.
Reached new fundraising goal of 276 million dollars. Building is paid for. 3500 donors. TV producer next to me confused by hammering sound from below.
Gehry on stage. Only one not in suit. Seems like most avuncular of starchitects. Now he talks.
Gehry gives cute wave. Sez he’s a laid back Canadian like Ken Thomson. “He was frugal in a sweet way”. Wants kids to come to AGO.
Wanted to create porch on Dundas. Says streetcar going by is like being in same room with it.
G says “I think this is a real Gehry.”
Panel questions. Never hold a microphone upright in your lap when sitting on stage.
French reporter just asked question in French to people who don’t speak French. Ballsy.
Writer from Fab asks about G’s fascination with fish.
G wonders if Barton Myers (previous architect) is “pissed off” at him. Also Alsop enabled the tower over grange park! Wished for more $.
G says entrance fees from $15 going up to $18 is “highway robbery”.
Free passes will be given to new Canadians and students after school.
G: Gallery that shows the Mona Lisa is “crappy”. Paid attn to how art is hung. “Let pieces breath.”
-post press conference events follow-
Spent 20 min wondering where washroom was. Nice though, once I found it.
Craig Webb: “Hardest part was fitting it into the ‘hood.”
The press do not like being told the can’t take pictures.
Many galleries designed to be lit with natural light. Calculated brightness and will close shutters when needed.
Following a Californian talking about Toronto. Neat view on our city. Little more frank about things? Not Gehry Frank, but frank frank.
People asking why no trees? No space is answer. Ribs on front fan out from centre.
Put railings in the Kreighoff room so people could lean into paintings. An experiment.
Ruben’s “Massacre of the Innocents” more violent than video games or True Blood.
Craig Webb has great California haircut. Architectural. Wait, it’s Bilbao hair, totally.
Members, construction workers, curators oh my
November 12th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
The AGO was open for three days this week for the members preview. It was fun to wander around the gallery (apart from exploring it myself) and watch people get used to the new building while it is still being finished. I had a map in hand, but was happy to just try and get lost inside and see what I find. That’s something you can easily do at a museum or gallery in another city that you’re visiting for the first time, but not so easy at one in your own city. These first visits are somewhat special because of this.
Many parts were off-limits or behind yellow caution tape, including the Walker Court (everyone seems to be wondering how the spiral staircase works in there) as well as the two exterior staircases, as they were still under construction. My feeling is most people enjoyed seeing the organized chaos of an unfinished building, a sort of peek into the behind the scenes of how the gallery is not just built, but how it’s run. Construction workers were everywhere as were gallery workers installing various artworks (almost like some kind of meta performance piece on gallery life). That art work is safe though, don’t worry, security is watching everything like a hawks in nice suits. Three minutes into the museum I was taking notes on my iPhone and could tell I was being followed. Sure enough, I was politely reminded that I couldn’t take any pictures. I said “of course, just taking notes,” but I don’t think he believed me entirely.
Members are an interesting bunch though. We should all have a sense of ownership over the AGO as it’s “our public gallery” but members likely feel this a bit more since they buy a membership every year to help support it. Many of them knew the old AGO inside-out, and it was fun to overhear many of them get used to the new building. Here are a few of the things I overheard during members preview days:
“Where is the new stuff?”
“You know what we should do first. We should find the bathroom.”
“It’s supposed to be built more user friendly. You can walk all the way through now. I’m sure it’ll work that way when it’s done.”
“Oh, more Michael Snow. How much Michael Snow is there?”
“The beams look beautiful from up here. What’s that curved part of the building down there?” — “It’s another building across the street on Beverly. It isn’t part of the gallery.” — “Ah. It’s nice too.”
“I think we’ve been here before.”
“That would be east. No, no. No, east, yes.”
“This guy, he was a nihilist, I think.”
“This is so perfect. It hasn’t changed but it is totally different.”
“So this is Frank Stella?” — “Yes, there is one in the cafe too.” — “I don’t know him but will look into him.”
“The elevator won’t go to 3.” — “Push it again.” — “No, it doesn’t work.” — “There is nothing on 3.” — “That explains it.”
Construction worker into walkie-talkie: “No, I didn’t forget about you, I’ll be over there soon. Just hold it up for a bit longer.”
“Do you have enough energy to do another floor.” — “Yes I think so.” — “OK let’s go to 4 then.”
Henry Moore Unboxed
November 11th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
The temporary protective box around Two Large Forms, the Henry Moore sculpture that has sat at Dundas and McCaul since 1973, has been removed and the piece is again a familiar part of the city. It was moved to the south a few meters to accommodate the new addition but it will likely again fall into its roll as either: a nice piece of abstract sculpture for art lovers; a strange playground slide for children; or something OCAD students can lean up against when making out after a late night class. I often wonder if Moore knew that his piece would become a sort of art-ambassador, introducing people to abstract forms who might not otherwise go into the the AGO and see the rest of the collection — or maybe many did after seeing this piece. Toronto has a long relationship with Henry Moore that was mostly happy (the AGO houses the biggest public collection of Moore’s work in the world) but was sometimes contentious (as during the fight in the 1960s to install “The Archer” in front of New City Hall — quite a few people just didn’t want public money used on art — sounds familiar?). The role this piece plays reminds me of the Picasso sculpture found in the Daley Civic Center plaza in Chicago. A bit puzzling when first installed, but quickly becoming a loved part of the urban landscape, and one kids can play on. Two Large Forms at the AGO is a bit of a tease though — we can’t climb on any of his pieces inside, even though some of them seem to be asking for it.
The new AGO helps cure Toronto’s pole pollution
November 10th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
A common complaint heard from Torontonians and visitors to the city is that we have too many utility poles scattered around our sidewalks. In an article today on Spacing Toronto, Megan Hall writes about city’s ongoing policy to remove or consolidate poles where and when possible. As she points out in her article, it’s a difficult task to coordinate as each pole may belong to a different agency and often TTC streetcar poles must remain in order to keep the Red Rockets running. In front of the AGO all the poles have been removed because the building itself is being used to anchor the overhead wires. As the tension cracks in the photo above suggest, installation of this new way of suspending streetcar wires from an oddly shaped building is not without its own challenges (see Torontoist for more pictures of the glass replacement). The effort is worth it though — once completed the curved front of the AGO will be one of the few buildings in Toronto that can be viewed without obstruction. It’s also an interesting detail to note — often with massive renovations like Transformation AGO we talk about how it will change or affect the city in macro terms — here is one of the smaller ways the AGO is changing the city’s public spaces for the better.
Transformation AGO: Alien views and the Toronto Look
November 7th, 2008
By: Shawn Micallef
In Toronto the presence of the AGO along Dundas has been as familiar as a family member. Always there, reliable, maybe even taken for granted. When the big fence went up around it for the Transformation project a couple years ago — and when it ultimately closed earlier this year for the final months of the renovation — the absence was suddenly the only thing we could notice when in the area. I say we because just about everytime I’ve passed by the AGO from one direction or another, there are at least a few sidewalk foremen or women watching the construction take place. Chatter about the building elsewhere — at parties, overheard in the workplace — is more and more frequent. Perhaps the upshot of being closed for a while is that anticipation builds in a way it otherwise couldn’t.
I love the view above of the new AGO from Grange Park. With the blend of new and old, there is something quintessentially Toronto in this angle. This, I believe, is the elusive “Toronto look” that we often fumble around looking for as we try to define, without success, what Toronto looks like in our mind’s eye. This city is often able to effortlessly accommodate Victorian and Edwardian structures — in this rare case even older, as The Grange house dates to 1817 and the Georgian period — next door to contemporary skyscrapers and modern buildings. Architectural and heritage purists may disagree, but a good heritage building can keep up with and match wits with a contemporary building anytime, and The Grange does this just fine.
This mix of old and new also prevents the building from becoming simply a museum piece, preserved in architectural formaldehyde as if time has not passed a minute since it was built. Inside, The Grange does all the things it should, showing us how folks lived back when the Family Compact ruled Upper Canada, but to get inside we now have to pass through one of the new contemporary art spaces that Frank Gehry’s firm has created, always reminding us that it belongs as much to us today as it did the Boulton family of the nineteenth century. Kind of like how Toronto itself works, always evolving, where the very old is mixed in with the very new — along with everything in between.
The view to the south from the AGO has always been special, with a clear view down John Street to the hump of the erstwhile Skydome. Standing here you get a sense of the power of the early aristocratic families who could lay out streets so the view from their front porch was magnificent. In our Toronto we can now climb to the upper galleries and look south to the lake, a brand new view that includes a rare vista down the middle of a street, all made possible by a planning decision made nearly 200 years ago. Conversely, looking north, the new AGO can be seen like few other buildings in Toronto can: unimpeded and from a distance. Walking north from King or Queen — especially in the winter when the leaves are off the trees — the AGO will rise in front of us, framing the Grange below with a blue titanium sky. It’s likely this will become as iconic a Toronto view as the one of Old City Hall seen when walking up Bay Street.
This week I saw two cranes working on the “Barnacle Staircase” on the back of the building. Gehry’s structures don’t look like the buildings we’re use to (though his prolific work in the last decade or two have started to change that) and the far-out alien contortions of the metal look like something from of a 1970s sci-fi film with the cranes acting as some kind of robotic machine picking at the mysterious creature. When I encounter buildings like this, I always wish I could have been a fly on the wall when the construction workers were first shown the plans. “You want us to do what with what,” I imagine they say. Or maybe not. Maybe the prospect of working on something like this is as exciting as standing outside it and looking up, waiting for it to open, anticipating when we’ll get to wander around inside ourselves.
AGO photo pool
November 6th, 2008
The Transformed Art Gallery of Ontario is Toronto native Frank Gehry’s most recent building, and his first in Canada. Starting November 14, 2008 the AGO will open its doors to the public and unveil its transformed design, interactive galleries and inspirational art, beginning with three days of free admission:
Friday, November 14, 4 pm to 12 midnight
Saturday, November 15, 10 am to 12 midnight
Sunday, November 16, 10 am to 5:30 pm
Share your photographs of the new AGO with the AGO Flickr group.
Construction Update: A new view on Walker Court
October 2nd, 2008
Photo courtesy AGO photographer Carlo Catenazzi. © 2008 Art Gallery of Ontario.
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s historic Walker Court will play a new and exciting role in the transformed AGO. Frank Gehry’s new design prominently positions Walker Court as the heart of the Gallery, with pathways leading to, from and around the space.
Walker Court has been expanded on all sides, while a new second-floor walkway around its perimeter allows visitors to see into and across the court. The new glass roof overlooking Walker Court and the adjacent scissor staircase create a dramatic space, suffused with light.
The crowning glory of Walker Court will be the sculptural staircase that leads from the second-floor walkway, spiralling up through the glass roof to the upper levels of the new south tower. This dynamic architectural element provides spectacular vistas of the city north of the AGO, as well as impressive views of the surrounding spaces within the Gallery.