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Air Conditioned Jungle: A Streetside Safari

Diaz Contemporary, Toronto Jul 30 to Aug 29 2009
“Air Conditioned Jungle”  2009  Installation view  Courtesy of Diaz Contemporary  /   photo Toni Hafkenscheid “Air Conditioned Jungle” 2009 Installation view Courtesy of Diaz Contemporary / photo Toni Hafkenscheid

“Air Conditioned Jungle” 2009 Installation view Courtesy of Diaz Contemporary / photo Toni Hafkenscheid

Street commotion spills into Diaz Contemporary in “Air Conditioned Jungle,” an exhibition organized by Toronto curator Gregory Elgstrand. Comprising works by Carlo Cesta, Atom Deguire, Mark Dudiak, Brendan Fernandes, Jesse Harris, Joel Herman, Kelly Jazvac, Tania Kitchell, Kerri Reid, Andrew Reyes, Tony Romano and Orest Tataryn, the works transform Diaz into an urban streetscape, containing everything from an alluring bubble gum machine and balcony facades to a dazzling neon sign. As a final touch, the gallery’s white walls have been temporarily overlaid with brick-graphic wallpaper. How we navigate the space and the way in which, as the exhibition text suggests, “the works interact to form a world of their own” inform the experience of this carefully rendered mise en scène. It is a show that finds multi-layered ways of imbuing the familiar with sharp-witted whimsy. (100 Niagara St, Toronto ON)

This article was first published online on August 13, 2009.

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