Toronto
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If you're traveling on GO Transit for the next five months get ready to see some abstract art inside and outside of the train corridors. A conglomerate public art project is being undertaken to incite discussion over sustainable transportation issues.
At a press launch at Toronto’s Union Station Tuesday, No.9: Contemporary Art and the Environment, Metrolinx and Toronto-based artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins announced a public art partnership that will take place on the entire GO network in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas.
Until Dec. 1, riders will get a chance to witness
Art Train Conductor No. 9 that will be displayed on different train corridors. The exterior exhibits abstract art with brightly coloured vinyl wrap and the interior features posters and ceiling vinyl, which GO Transit President Gary McNeil called it the “Sistine Chapel.”
“We’re using a fantastic traveling billboard to combine art and technology and trying to get the message out to people that public transportation is one of the most important things of making this city livable. Without it we can’t really do a lot of things we profess we want to do,” said the GO Transit president. “What we’re trying to do is to reach out to the public to get things started to talk about why public transportation is important. A lot of people out there just take it for granted that it’s there.”
The purpose of the endeavour is to bring conversation between transit riders about the importance of mobility and sustainable transportation solutions. Discussions can also be done using a special mobile app called
tetAtet that is available on the Android smartphone and iPhone. It can be downloaded scanning the QR codes on the train.
Video clips and weekly video content will be introduced that includes topics of transit issues, urban planning and environmental concerns. Such people involved in the video projects are author Margaret Atwood, transportation expert Eric Miller and architect Bruce Kuwabara.
During the first week of this artistic undertaking, special No. 9 docents will be on the train to introduce the tetAtet app to riders.
The introduction of this art project comes as the
MOVE: Transportation Expo, a tour that highlights the past, present and future of public transportation, begins this summer at the Evergreen Brick Works.
Art Train Conductor No.9 on GO Transit's train.
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No. 9 docents, who will be available on the train corridors in the first week to introduce the tetAtet app to riders.
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Gary McNeil, President of GO Transit, being shown the free tetAtet app at Union Station in Toronto.
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Toronto-based artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins
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Andrew Davies, Executive Director of No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment, speaking at the press launch of its latest Art Train Conductor No. 9
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Gary McNeil, President of GO Transit
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