LIVING ON THE EDGE

Can the suburbs be our saviours? With so many ethnic and cultural groups found across the Greater Toronto Area, this exhibition will surprise anyone interested in what is happening to the future design of our suburbs, and the ambitions of our cosmopolitan city. Designers and the general public will be amazed to learn about how a range of ethnic and cultural groups throughout our suburban rings of development are improving the quality of our built environment through formal and informal design interventions. These influences relate to sports and recreation, business, religion and social patterns that are occurring in the public realm and emanate from the rich cultural capital comprising the GTA.

Fringe Benefits: Cosmopolitan Dynamics of a Multicultural City is an exhibition curated by Ian Chodikoff, editor of Canadian Architect Magazine. Chodikoff is an architect and urban designer who is intent on presenting ideas and questions that will influence the future identity of our suburbs--a geography constantly evolving into something much more dynamic than big-box retail outlets and housing subdivisions. The exhibition will discuss the relationships between social networks, social capital, social exclusion, economic disparity and entrepreneurial activities found amongst the various built environments across the GTA.

Recent projects by Toronto’s leading architects will demonstrate how our cosmopolitan communities are already influencing contemporary architecture in a formal and ambitious way. In other situations, businesses and individual have already begun to influence the ways in which our various communities shop, eat and play together. Examples of residential buildings of various heights and densities, commercial buildings, parks, cultural landscapes and temporary urbanism will be presented to initiate debate about the new realities of our constantly mutating suburban context. Supported by Canada Council

Fringe Benefits: Cosmopolitan Dynamics of a Multicultural City runs from July 9  to September 23 2008 at Design Exchange. Free Admission

ABOUT THE DESIGN EXCHANGE:

The Design Exchange (DX) is Canada’s design museum, with a mission to engage and educate Canadians about the value of design.  It recognizes Canadian design and innovation as key elements in the cultural and economic fabric of our lives. It achieves its mandate through delivering design programs that include exhibitions, competitions, lectures and publications. The DX is a registered charity.

The Design Exchange is located in the original historic Toronto Stock Exchange building at 234 Bay St., Toronto. Information is available by calling 416-216-2160 or visiting the DX web site at www.dx.org.

Hours:
Monday – Friday 9-5
Saturday – Sunday 12-5

Media Contact: Claudine Crangle, Director of Marketing, Sponsorship & PR: claudine@dx.org, 416-216-2134