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.
Excerpt from the artwork
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.
Photos by Mila Bright Zlatanovic
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
make shade offer shelter provide relief
As an extension of this project, artist Christina Battle created an iteration of her Focus on Joy (bouquets) which included educational resources and seed packs for planting. These handmade bundles were distributed to program attendees at The Bentway on June 19.
Focus on Joy (bouquets) by Christina Battle
30 handmade bundles; Indigo dyed organic cotton, seed packs with: Canada Wild Rye, Sunflowers, Anise Hyssop, and Bee Balm (Wild Bergamot.) Learn more!
Times of ongoing crisis result in emotions of grief that need to be overcome and contended with. Focus on Joy (bouquets) invites us to consider the power of joy and visualize ways forward while spending time caring for and learning from flowers. Each bundle focuses on plants that grow and thrive together as companions, offering support not only to one another but to the overall ecosystem: the soil, the pollinators, the creatures that frequent them…and us. The project values the time and space shaped by the anticipation of imagining forward and invites participants to plant now for bouquets in future seasons.
This iteration brings together flowers and grasses inspired by the Bentway’s focus on the vital and democratizing role of shade, and considers how tall plant species can contribute to offering shelter and relief to smaller plants, animals, and organisms.
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
Co-commissioned by The Bentway and the Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA)
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
Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA)
Save Your Skin Foundation
