North By Northeast is smack dab in the middle of Toronto’s Bike Month, and this year, the NXNE Art stream of the festival will feature an exhibit centered around bicycles and the people who ride them called Life Cycles.
Life Cycles is a multi-site cross-city cycling exhibit. Attendees grab their bicycle and start at 1506 Dundas Street West where they can pick up a map that will guide them to various locations of the large format art pieces between Dundas Street West and the NXNE Art Hub at King and Blue Jays Way. The map will also be available for download at lifecycles.hermannaudrey.com.
Original works range from experiential video and large format art to projection and untraditional applications of photography, which explore the bicycle as an art form. Life Cycles will feature the art of Steve Carty (stevecarty.com), who will pop up along the exhibit with a portrait studio where participants can get their portrait taken with their bikes. Then, on June 20th at 7pm, Carty will lead participants on a community art ride through the city of Toronto.
NXNE Art asks questions like: What’s the impact of the changes currently visible in the city? What’s the effect of design on a city’s living elements – its public space and its people? Life Cycles seeks to explore those questions as they pertain to Toronto’s bicycle culture. It will be showcasing cycling in Toronto as not only a great way to get around the city, but as art, fashion, and a sight to see around the city.
