Casting a Net, Casting a Spell

Celeste

Part of Sun/Shade
Render of a large elevated art installation inspired by a suncatcher, providing a shade canopy on the onlookers below.
Project Render

Artist duo Celeste’s majestic, quilted canopy casts welcomed shade down to a seating area below, offering relief from the heat and a space for gathering. Like a suncatcher, Casting a Net, Casting a Spell embraces and harnesses the sun, weaving in archetypes that have surrounded the sun since ancient times. 

Despite the sweeping extent of the Gardiner Expressway above, certain spaces at The Bentway extend beyond its cover leaving full exposure to the elements. One such space is the deck just south of our Skate Trail that welcomes the heat of the sun in the winter but lacks the benefits of shade in the summer. In response to this seasonal shift, artist duo Celeste (Mexico City, MX) transform this sun-soaked deck into a colourful and more hospitable space.  

Inspired by bodies both celestial and human, Casting a Net, Casting a Spell is a hand-painted and quilted canopy in which the sun is both embraced by and captured by a net that has been cast.  

Representations of hands and fingers are recurring elements in Celeste’s work and, in this composition, transform into ribbons that, when braided, create a supportive structure overhead.  

Similar to a suncatcher, this unique canopy also behaves as a container, symbolizing communal efforts to harness the power of the sun, gather its harvest, and enable moments of collective and creative experiences reminiscent of summer solstice community festivities in the shade cast below. This space not only provides physical shelter but also a place for rest and gathering, inviting reflection on how we can safely enjoy and sustain that which gives us life and energy. The solar archetype, present in all worldviews, is a common thread across time and territories, offering a sense of unity. This majestic canopy is a filter for sunlight and a visual and physical reminder of our connection to the sun and to each other.

What to expect: 

  • A large-form textile installation mounted above the deck south of The Bentway Skate Trail, featuring a hand-painted and quilted canopy inspired by celestial mythological forms.  
  • A free, activity booklet, inspired by the artwork, will be available for audience members in the Bentway Ice House (the building where the public washrooms are). 
  • The installation is wheelchair accessible. 
  • Benches and chairs are available nearby for those who require seating.
  • All-gender and accessible washrooms available on-site. Please visit The Bentway’s homepage for current washroom opening hours. 

collaborators

project team

Engineering: Blackwell 

Fabrication: Virginia (Vicky) Juarez 

Studio Assistants: Lizbeth Berdeja, Pablo Marines, and Bruno Enciso. 

supporters

Commissioned by The Bentway

Sun-safety partner
David Cornfield Melanoma Fund

Supported by
Balsam Foundation
City of Toronto
TD Bank Group
and The Bentway’s growing family of friends and supporters

With help from partners at
Save Your Skin Foundation

If you like this

Casting a Net, Casting a Spell Art Workshop with Celeste

Meet artists María Fernanda Camarena and Gabriel Rosas Alemán, who together form the Mexico City-based duo Celeste, for an afternoon of art activities! Inspired by their installation Casting a Net, Casting a Spell –  a large-scale quilted canopy evocative of a suncatcher – come explore the power of the sun through family-friendly creative exercises.

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