This week there’s a
very unique art show that should interest anyone who spends a lot of
time in transit vehicles. Last fall, the Toronto Public Space
Committee, a citizen’s group concerned with the urban environment,
put out a call to TTC riders, whether or not they were professional
artists. The show "What the TTC Could Be" allows us to imagine what
our subway stations and transit vehicles might look like without
advertisements.
The creations
include redesigned subway interiors as well as drawings and
colourings by students from Toronto schools. For a brief preview go
to www.publicspace.ca. While
the show is not officially sanctioned by transit officials, anyone
looking for a shot of inspiration and colour should visit the
XPACE Gallery
from January 5 to 8. The show is open from noon to 5 p.m., at 303
Augusta Ave. in Kensington Market. “Opening Night” is on Friday the
6th from 7 to 11 p.m.
The people behind
the Public Space Committee are particularly interested in the way
advertising appears in city streets or any part of the public
domain. After Toronto’s municipal council proposed banning posters
from most telephone poles, the group fought back -- pointing out
that large billboards were being ignored in the discussion over
urban esthetics and beauty.
The group also took
an interest in the transit system, successfully reminding Toronto’s
city government that bus shelters must have the name of the nearby
street affixed to them.
The committee became
especially concerned last year after a private company proposed
placing video monitors on all subway platforms and inside each train
car. The group argued that the devices would be disruptive, and that
advertisements would far outweigh passenger information.
The platform
monitors are being installed across the system, but the transit
commission decided against allowing video screens inside subway
cars.
Many transit riders
have no objection to advertisements, including those that wrap
streetcars, or cover station walls. The TTC receives money from ads,
offsetting the cost of operating the system.
Departing committee
coordinator Dave Meslin calculates that ad revenues equal four cents
per ride. If one takes that TTC 500 times a year, I reckon that
works out to $20.
Instead of an
exercise in opposition or complaining, the art show is more about
inspiration. It’s also an attempt to make us aware of our
surroundings, and ask if we want to change them.
While the city
councillors who oversee the system aren’t required to respond to the
show, they have shown a recent interest in beautifying the subway
system. After the Toronto Community Foundation proposed an artistic
redesign of selected stations, the commission agreed to test the
idea.
The TTC has a budget
to refurbish older stations, but the funds are intended for
functional improvements. The Foundation will solicit additional
money from private donors -- including corporations -- to install
art at the same time. The first project is Museum station, where a
new design would evoke the exhibits of nearby museums.