Chalked a different, yet this time around it was a precisely measured nine lane “Peace Labyrinth” in the same intersection as last year’s Toronto Ukrainian Festival.
Checkout the peace labyrinth at Bloor and Armadale pic.twitter.com/70p6rS3AnS
— Toronto Ukrainian Festival (@TorUkrFestival) September 16, 2023
“This was such a lovely addition!
It was delightful to see kids winding around it and discovering the magic and benefit of Labyrinths.”
“I came across that just a while ago, literally.”
The peace labyrinth created by Toronto artist Himy Syed @LabyrinthsDOTca pic.twitter.com/j4Puio7omC
— Toronto Ukrainian Festival (@TorUkrFestival) September 17, 2022
Can’t say enough good things about @LabyrinthsDOTca’s work. These are key activations that make it fun to walk our streets!
— Norm Di Pasquale – Ward 11 City Council Candidate (@normsworld) September 18, 2022
" Peace Labyrinth " 🍥
" Лабіринт Мир "
Toronto Ukrainian Festival 2022
Armadale Avenue & Bloor Street West Intersection
Bloor West Village
| #Labyrinths🍥 #TorontoUkrainianFestival🇺🇦 #BloorWestVillage https://t.co/hyQt9ahUKE pic.twitter.com/ZOeNGEqWWj
— HïMY SYeD 🍥 City of Labyrinths Project (@LabyrinthsDOTca) September 18, 2022
Matt O’Sullivan, “ matto ” to those in the know, was driving south into downtown Toronto on the Don Valley Parkway a few days ago, when he eyed my giant in-progress peace symbol on the the hill that takes up the east side of East Riverdale Park, on Broadview Avenue.
That momentary eye-popping glance was enough to entice matto into exiting the Parkway to get a better look.
The next hour found matto photographing my progress in outstalling simple 8½” sheets of white paper upon the grass using regular toothpicks to peg the pages in place. He did so mostly from a distance, though I was cognizant of the presence of his lens.
Heisenberg compensator to the max!
In being an anti-war activist, my work has included creating giant peace symbols all over Toronto these past few months, and intermittently, these past few years.
At first my outstallations were intended to bring to mind the suffering of civilians in war zones, as in Afghanistan or the civilian victims of economic sanctions as experienced in Iraq in-between the wars.
However, the beginning of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq has bumped up the intensity of debate with many many many many perspectives vying to become an Official Narrative of recent events.
When matto finally walked up the hill to introduce himself, he mentioned he will post the photos onto his “Photo Blog“.
Photo Blog ?
I immediately grasped the concept of a weblog with only photos! Wow! That sure beats my using the Gallery software to present my work online.
Inspired by The Narrative, my own photoblog will be online as soon as time permits. Hopefully in time for my trip to New York and the Republican National Convention.
Who knows, I may yet discover a hill somewhere in Gotham City and make peace in Manhattan.
Stay tuned.