Declaration of the Understory

Secwépemc artist Tania Willard approaches the space below the highway as a tree canopy, reminiscent of the “understory” floor of southern Ontario forests, where pockets of shade and sunlight shape unique ecosystems below. In a stunning mixed-media installation, floral motifs, iridescence, and powerful slogans offer a mediation on the power of shade as a lifeforce.

By Tania Willard
Co-commissioned by The Bentway and the Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) 

Nestled under the Gardiner Expressway and tracing the original shoreline of Lake Ontario is Bentway Staging Grounds, a unique public space (temporary, for now) designed to centre environmental regeneration. Since opening in 2023, the site has reintroduced features of pre-industrial wetlands in the CityPlace neighbourhood by planting shade- and salt-tolerant native gardens, all living and growing within the shadow cast by the concrete infrastructure above. 

Responding to this evolving ecosystem, artist Tania Willard (Secwepemcúl’ecw, BC) celebrates the potential of shade through the creation of a multifaceted, living artwork. Declaration of the Understory takes its name from the document issued by Secwépemc Kukpi7 Chiefs and Councillors in response to concerns over understory plant recovery following major wildfires near the artist’s home in the British Columbia interior. Here, below the Gardiner, Willard builds on this call to action by reimagining the highway as a tree canopy, reminiscent of the Carolinian forests in southern Ontario where pockets of shade and sunlight shape unique ecosystems below. 

At the centre of the installation is the hepatica, or liverleaf, an early spring wildflower that thrives in shaded conditions and covers eastern woodland floors with its vibrant purple colour. Referencing the pathways of hepatica flowers that burst up from the understory during the change of seasons, floral motifs in Willard’s artwork activate the architecture of the highway as an imagined rewilding of public space, proposing a renewing of relations with the lands, urban ecologies, and Indigenous communities.

No system like the ecosystem.

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Shining a light on what thrives in the shade through the use of reflective and iridescent materials, a series of slogans from the perspective of the plant world stretch across banners and bents, celebrating interconnectedness and Indigenous knowledge. Declaration of the Understory offers a mediation on the power of shade, reminding us of its potential as a life force for new growth.

What to expect: 

• Found at both Bentway Staging Grounds (with elements at The Bentway Skate Trail), this installation showcases mixed-media floral motifs from shade-tolerant plant life to promote rewilding, sustainability, and the renewal of relationships with the land.
• At Staging Grounds, viewers will encounter two-dimensional banners and light projections from sunset-sunrise throughout the installation. 
• At the Skate Trail, the projections are on view from 6:30pm-11pm daily. 
• Both sites are wheelchair accessible.  
• There are no public washrooms at Bentway Staging Grounds. The Canoe Landing Community Centre is nearby and has public bathrooms available during opening hours. At The Bentway Skate Trail, all-gender and accessible washrooms available on-site. Please visit The Bentway’s homepage for current washroom opening hours. 
• Benches are nearby for those that require seating. 

collaborators

project team

Curator: Renee Castonguay

Producer: Jeremy Forsyth

Artist Assistants: Dan Bergeron, Wilson Lin, and Layne Hinton

Engineering: Blackwell

Fabrication: Beyond Digital Imaging, Specialized Scaffold Services, TheGobo.com, Toronto Plant Market

supporters