Commission by Art Toronto 2013, ALL THE ARTISTS ARE HERE was a large-scale installation that explored the visual impact of all the artists exhibited at Art Toronto 2013. Each artist is represented by a red-framed black and white photographic portrait which they or their gallery participated in selecting. While the galleries display the artwork of artists from all over the world, ALL THE ARTISTS ARE HERE brings the represented artists together as a group by offering Art Toronto and the viewing public the impact of all of their portraits in a suspended, larger than life optical work.

 

My inspiration for this work drew upon Soviet Constructivism and the large-scale populist theatrical sets and public art works. 

 

Interactively, ALL THE ARTISTS ARE HERE allows engagement with both the artwork and the artists through the use of an everyday device, a smartphone. Searching for and registering a connection with the artists and their works by scanning a legend of associated QR-Codes provides a personal relation that can be bookmarked, used during the art fair and taken home.

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Renderings by Jeff Lei + Thom Sokoloski

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EDUCATION OUTREACH

 

As part of ALL THE ARTISTS ARE HERE, Thom Sokoloski collaborated with Jenny-Anne McCowan to design and lead an arts education program, entitled HANDS ON WITH THE ARTISTS. It invited a collective of at-risk and art high school students to participate in realizing a large-scale installation and experience Art Toronto first-hand.

 

From workshops in conception and production of their own initiatives to the install of ALL THE ARTISTS ARE HERE, all the students had the opportunity to learn, practice and apply new skills in art making, explore the galleries and artistry at the fair and leave with a new awareness of the contemporary art world.

 

 

Press:

Canadian Art

Artsy

24 Daily News

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