KIOSK 2005

Oct. 16

Written By kate hall

Derek Sullivan
October 5, 2005 – April 15, 2006

Maura Doyle & Annie Dunning

Althea Thauberger

Derek Sullivan, KIOSK, 2005, 12' high x 5'4" wide x 5'4" deep. Wood, paint, printed material

Artist Statement

Kiosk 2005 is a site-specific project designed for the Toronto Sculpture Garden. I was struck by the divide between the Garden's romanticized take on the European streetscape (the iron gates, the off-the-sidewalk sidewalk café) and its remove from the actual city streets of Toronto. My installation is based upon a structure found in a series of Eugene Atget's images of turn-of-the-century Paris: a typical street-corner poster kiosk. Working with architect Eric Klaver, an extracted version of the kiosk found in Atget's images is designed to be executed in the manner of city park structures, using typical materials. This structure is intended to complete the ‘tableaux' of European street-life established by the Garden's design, while also setting up a device that might activate street-level activity within the park.

Kiosk is sited near one of the gates for maximum visibility from the street. Five artist poster projects have been commissioned for this sculpture. These works by Clint Burnham, Maura Doyle & Annie Dunning, Andrew Reyes, Zin Taylor, and Althea Thauberger, will be pasted to Kiosk during its 6-month run. I'm interested in seeing multiple uses come together, with artists' projects occupying the same space as local events promotion, local businesses, etc. I want to activate street-level activity within this supposed public space, an action that will alter how the garden is used. (This alteration has already begun with Luis Jacob's recent project). This alteration will also manifest itself in the Kiosk object itself. The shape of Kiosk will alter and distort during its run, deviating from its original pristine form as layers of print material accumulate on its surface.