Encounters @ 365 Talbot
Encounters @ 365 Talbot is an interactive art installation by Maddie King and Andrew Gunn of young & free press. In August 2022, eighteen vintage mirrors were placed in the walkway at 365 Talbot Street in downtown St. Thomas, each one drawn from a different city or town in southern Ontario. The mirrors complement the stunning mural on-site by artist Stephanie Boutari. This is a managed installation, and the depth of the piece is meant to be revealed gradually. Logan Burns of Farmview Welding has assisted with the installation.
Artist Statement
Mirror selfies have become ubiquitous on social media. Individuals pose for photos in mirrors & share the shots on platforms like Instagram. There is something fascinating about this practice, as each photographer-subject is essentially offering a self-portrait. Encounters @ 365 Talbot provides an ideal setting for such photos in a beautiful and intriguing urban space.
Still, the installation is far more significant than a simple photo-spot. Recognizing that the mirrors would generate conversation immediately in the neighbourhood, we anticipated the questions that observers might raise: what if the mirrors get broken, or what if someone steals one of the mirrors? Of course, the mirrors could get broken – so could any storefront window. Sure, one or two of the mirrors might get stolen – objects get stolen all the time, unfortunately.
Ultimately, any cracks in the mirrors or theft are simply part of the artwork – we do not consider such things as damage to the installation, but rather reflections of cracks in the veneer of the community. In the walkway, broken mirrors have been repaired, and stolen mirrors have been replaced. Encounters @ 365 Talbot is a photo-spot, but also a place of healing. Things go wrong but can be made right. Cities can decline but renewal is possible.
No matter how we are feeling about ourselves, or about our community, we can look into the mirrors and understand who we are, both as individuals and as a city. Encounters @ 365 Talbot is a place to face St. Thomas in a new way, and to consider cities around the region. What kind of experiences are we giving people by designing cities the way that we have? How can cities produce happier residents & guests? What makes each place unique?
Maddie King & Andrew Gunn are the founders of young & free press and curators of multiple art projects in southern Ontario. Encounters @ 365 Talbot is their first art installation. A book of poems, titled City Codes, will be published in 2023 to accompany the artwork.
Mirrors were sourced from the following communities in southern Ontario:
Amherstburg, Windsor, Sarnia, Goderich, Chatham, St. Thomas, London, Stratford, Woodstock, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Simcoe, Paris, Brantford, Hamilton, and Toronto.
Early in 2023, the mirrors will be removed for the winter & restored in the spring.
