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Toronto's new Union Station Bus Terminal located south of the rail corridor between Bay and Yonge Streets is set be enlivened through art installations. Created by the acclaimed artistic duo Blue Republic, artworks are going up on the walls of both levels of the terminal starting on November 1st, and should make the wait for your GO bus more enjoyable.
Blue Republic is a collaboration of artists Anna Passakas and Radoslaw Kudlinski, based in both Toronto and Krakow, Poland. Their research is concerned with topics relating to "globalization, contemporary experiences, and the disruption of the binary that divides art from a broader social space" as per a statement on their official website.
According to Anna Passakas, the walls of the terminal were asking for something colourful, that would break the linear grid and animate the space. She describes the works as expressive and dynamic, accompanied by fragments of vehicles, people in motion, and snippets of views encountered on the way.
Blue Republic was among six Canadian artists who were invited to participate in a call for submissions held by Metrolinx and managed by DEXD, an experience design company and art consultant for the project. A jury of art and design professionals assessed the concept designs that were submitted, and selected Blue Republic as the winners.
The artists created a series of shapes that speak to the universal experience of travel, a theme that best represents the inside of the building which is part of the larger Union Station transit hub. According to Blue Republic, the installation will engage viewers on multiple levels with lots to see and discover each and every time they catch their bus.
The process of creating the artwork took nearly a year to complete. Now, the task of installing the art has proven to be quite a complicated process. The installation of the art will take place over the course of a few days on the walls of the bus terminal while it is in use, and while following pandemic-related restrictions.
Blue Republic's artwork has also appeared at Toronto's Pearson Airport, Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto, and in front of two new condos in the Yonge-Eglinton area.
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