As a photographer, I am interested in the cultural importance of architecture and its significant role in human experience and memory. Certain buildings call to mind important moments in an individual’s life, they remind us of our place in the present, and connect us to our past. My images are meant to trigger these personal memories and to document our cultural narrative. In creating a photographic archive of these structures the link between architecture and the collective memory is emphasized.

I approach these structures with strict guidelines, methodically keeping in mind the technical precision of an architectural drawing. The building is photographed in sections using a large format camera; the negatives are scanned at the highest possible resolution and are seamlessly reassembled in Photoshop. All lens distortions are then corrected and both vertical and horizontal lines are fixed to right angles. This process allows for a hyper-real view of the building that would otherwise be impossible to see.

The Arena Project looks specifically at ice hockey in the Canadian cultural mindset and the experiences associated with the buildings in which the sport is played. These images are part of a growing collection of Canadian arenas, intended to give a unique perspective and preserve an important part of our identity and heritage.

— Martie Giefert

Martie Giefert grew up in Hillsburgh, a small town near Guelph, Ontario before moving north to Orillia as a teenager. After studying and working as a graphic designer he returned to school to earn his BFA in Photography at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As an artist his interests have always been in architecture, history, memory, and culture. His work has been exhibited in Toronto and Halifax, including a commissioned series for the Halifax Regional Municipality, Barrington Street Heritage Project. Giefert currently lives and works in Toronto.

My passion for Reggae music and its origins are the root of this latest work. Reggae was born through competition at live dancehalls, as opposing dj's or "soundsystems" vied for supremacy. In a world where music was a matter of life and death, a competitive edge could mean the difference between winning or losing a soundclash, dj's would often recruit sympathetic reggae singers to record unique versions of their hit songs to endorse a specific soundsystem. Transposing this concept onto the comparatively mild realm of contemporary art, this tongue in cheek work, puts the Toronto art community on notice, enlisting roots Reggae legend Linval Thompson to record a unique reworking of one of his songs telling the world what an incredible visual artist I am, via a disheveled dancing baby vulture.

— Chris Flanagan

Chris Flanagan is an Australian Installation artist now based in Toronto. His installation practice is as aesthetic as it is conceptual, based around meticulous sculptural making and often incorporating elements of video, sound, and interactivity. His reference points include political and pop culture, urban mythologies and an enormous vinyl record collection. He was the co-founder of Australia's Downtown Artspace, an artist run Gallery, and participated in the Gibraltor Point international Artists residency in Toronto in 2005.

Marina Babic, Anticlastic Rings, sterling silver and 18K gold, 2008
Digital by Design (Paul Ambtman)

Suzanne Carlsen, From Field to Feast, materials: brass and hand embroidery on silk, 15cm x 10cm x 10cm, 2008.
Image courtesy of Artist.

Annie Tung, Locket I (cameo), antique spoon, cast silver with patina, hair and Locket II, (black flies), antique spoon, copper with patina, silver, pearls, 14 cm h x 3.8 cm w each, 2008
Image courtesy of Artist.

Margaret Lim, Plum Blossoms in Autumn, material: Copper, Brass, Yellow heart wood, sterling silver, mulberry paper, image transfer, resin & acrylic, 2008.
Image courtesy of Artist.

Located over the two entrances on the south side of York Quay Centre artist Voyce presents an ode to the commute and a salute to children everywhere (in the form of two large billboards). The season arrives within a happy bundle of black ice, skating and cozy drinks. Let the chill begin!'