Murals in Market Lane! Welcome to the Forest City Playground

London is one of the largest urban areas within the distinctive Carolinian Forest region of southwestern Ontario. While London is regularly referred to as ‘The Forest City’, the connection between the urban core of the community and the surrounding natural environment does not always feel tangible. If we contemplate this intersection between urban and rural, city life and the natural environment, we may find the key to revealing a refreshed identity for the downtown, one based on the culture of the place, sustainability and active living. 

How can we help define the current purpose of London, and connect residents and tourists with that vision? How might we emphasize the links between the downtown and the natural environment? What could be added to enhance the area to draw in visitors of all ages? Our team at young & free has asked these questions. Questions help to forge a path — in this case, a path into the identity of the Forest City. In order to give shape to this work, we developed the theme of a ‘Forest City Playground’ … there is the potential to reveal something new if we blend traditional and contemporary media, events, and arts, culture, and recreation. Plus, we want the process to be fun! Now, we feel like the next step is to direct these questions to artists, and let creativity and imagination take over.

One of the initial efforts to activate all of this is the new collection of ‘Forest City Playground’ murals in Market Lane, the lovely pedestrian walkway that connects Dundas Place to Covent Garden Market alongside the Fanshawe College School of Digital and Performing Arts. Three artists – Stephanie Boutari, Hawlii Pichette, and Meaghan Claire Kehoe – have been given the challenge of painting murals on the exterior wall of the WIL Employment Connections building. The murals will emphasize the Carolinian Forest zone and ask viewers to consider the role of human beings in shaping the culture of our cities within the wider ecosystem. 

Here is the twist: we all live every day in two environments — the natural world, of course, and also the human-made setting of technology, architecture and infrastructure. What if we could emphasize this fact by having the content of the murals come to life in augmented reality?

EXAR Studios in London has developed the ‘Engage’ app to allow users to explore hidden attractions in the city. The murals in Market Lane will provide a perfect opportunity to bring environments together and provoke thought. For example, what if visitors could go ‘birding’ in downtown London by watching birds in the murals come to life in augmented reality and fly off the walls? This will be a magical experience for people of all ages, particularly children, and highlight the vision of a ‘Forest City Playground’ downtown. Subtly, guests will be encouraged to think about the connection between human activity and the environment. 

Murals are especially meaningful when they connect directly with the neighbourhood and community as a whole. If Shakespeare is correct that “all the world’s a stage”, then murals effectively can be the set design for everyday life. Thinking deeper, street art may be the definitive 21st century art-form, as murals exist in real life and then are shared exponentially through social media and other digital platforms. These works of art become one of the primary ways that people know about a community. Visitors seek out the murals as photo-spots. Another bonus is that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, murals can still be enjoyed as people look for more outdoor experiences. This is the time to transform downtown areas into living art galleries.

There is endless potential to expand the ‘Forest City Playground’ theme. Imagine subsequent mural projects that focus on trees, plants and animals that are native to the region, as well as installations that celebrate local culture and events, making space along the way for established and emerging artists from London as well as professionals from outside the community. The ‘Forest City Playground’ murals in Market Lane have been made possible through a wonderful collaboration between Tourism London, Downtown London, Dundas Place, Museum London, and our team at young & free press. This project will come together throughout October 2020 … make sure to visit Market Lane and check out the murals-in-progress!

Let the artists help lead the way in defining a new vision for healthy, sustainable, and thoughtful living in London. This is how ‘The Forest City’ will come alive for the next generation.