Descriptive Transcript: Unfinished Arch – East Bayfront’s Destination Art Piece

This is a descriptive transcript for Video: Unfinished Arch – East Bayfront’s Destination Art Piece

[DESCRIPTION:
A computer animation shows a modern apartment block and a row of trees that run around the edge of a grass covered open space. Built into grass, a narrow white archway that doesn't touch the ground at one end. As others look on, a person places their palms at the end of the arch and a light flows through the arch, from the hands to the ground. Then, in a studio, a man speaks.]

[AUDIO:]
You see the arch missing one of its support columns, and you may approach it.
There is almost an invitation for you to stand on that, and then hold on to the massive cantilevered arch.
As you are holding on, there's actually sensors.
Then the moment that you make that contact, automatically an animation of light emanates from your hands and it completes the arch.

[DESCRIPTION:
Text on screen, Sherbourne Common Destination Art Piece. Unfinished Arch. Three varying colours of blue, one atop the other, make wave patterns. Text. Waterfront Toronto.]

[DESCRIPTION:
Rafael strolls through his large studio where light bulbs hang across the ceiling. He stands before a rectangle silver board and holds his hand over it. The shadow of his hand is enlarged, and from it, thousands of particles spread like bubbles over the board, interactively.]

[AUDIO:]
My name is Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, and we're in my studio in Montreal.
I'm a Mexican-Canadian artist, and for the past about 30 years, I've been creating art works that are often incomplete and out of control.
What I mean by that is that these are art works that depend on participation for them to exist where the public is an integral part of the art work.
The outcome of the piece is really up to the participation.

[DESCRIPTION:
Text on screen, Chris Glasiek, Chief Planning and Design Officer at Waterfront Toronto. As Chris speaks, a photo shows an archway over a walkway. It's blue, with narrow human-like shapes with round heads and thin bodies and called 'Water Guardians'. Another shows gold statues and an arch in a town square called 'Garden of Future Follies.']
 

[AUDIO:]
Our approach to the public art on the waterfront is unique in that we have created a series of neighbourhood master plans for art. The first one of it's kind, was, in fact, the one we did for the West Don Lands on the waterfront in Toronto. 
We think in this case, Unfinished Arch, is going to become the centerpiece of the entire East Bayfront neighbourhood.
It will be a focal point for visitors as well as residents.
It has been thought of to really complement some of the other pieces that we've already delivered including 'Light Showers' in Sherbourne Common and 'Light Keeper' in Aitken Place Park. 

[DESCRIPTION:
A modern water monument, lit up in blue at night. Text: Ausma Malik, Deputy Mayor, Toronto and City Councillor, Spadina Fort York. As Ausma speaks, the animation of the Unfinished Arch at night. Then, footage of a sign that reads, Sherbourne Common South with open space with trees that stand before a wide river.]

[AUDIO:]
Public art is such an important fabric of communities across the city, and especially this community because it connects us to creativity and everyday life.
It gives us a sense of belonging, and it's also such an important landmark as we welcome millions of visitors to our waterfront, but especially as this community grows.
I hope that when people see this destination piece, that they react with curiosity.
What I love about it is that it invites you to interact and be part of the story of this place.
Place-making is such an important aspect of what we have to look at when we're building complete communities, when we're inviting new neighbours into a part of the city that we're just building.
That's what we're seeing right now in this community.
We're using public art to create a real cultural experience in these neighbourhoods that enables people to identify with them and creates an individuality and a uniqueness and an authenticity of place.

[DESCRIPTION:
As Rafael speaks, an animation depicts a wheelchair user touching the end of the Unfinished Arch. Then, an aerial view of the waterfront with its modern buildings and green, open space. An animation then depicts people taking photos of a person as they touch the arch.]

[AUDIO:]
Unfinished Arch has been designed with accessibility in mind from the very beginning.

For example, the design of the arch itself is with a tapered end that has different heights as well as being able to be activated by people on wheelchairs.
Unfinished Arch will be a very significant destination in the East Bayfront.
It will bring the neighbourhood together.
It will also increase tourism to the waterfront and it will generate economic benefits for the waterfront as a whole.
The spirit of a work like this is for it to be memorable.
One of the ways that we keep our memories today is of course, through social media.
The work is exactly of the size that can be captured by a camera, so that you can capture your friend or your family member holding onto the arch, supporting all the weight that shows that in the context either of the lake or the city.
I'm so excited about Unfinished Arch, joining the city views on the waterfront.
It's a destination piece of public art, and I'm really proud to be part of seeing how this journey unfolds for the public art to arrive on our waterfront and for everyone to be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.
I'm excited about Unfinished Arch because I think it's a participatory piece, which is a bit different than any of the other pieces we've made to date, and I think that's going to create a unique sense of excitement for people to go down and actually place themselves there, finish the arch, create the light show, and somehow feel they're part of building the waterfront.
I personally think that people are going to love it and really be drawn to it and create a personal, memorable connection with the piece.

[DESCRIPTION:
An animation of the Unfinished Archway at night as a person touches the end and lights up the arch and surrounding area. Text. Discover more at waterfrontoronto.ca. The Waterfront Toronto logo. The Canada, Ontario and Toronto logos.]