By Michela Rosano
Canadian Geographic
At Young-Dundas Square, one of the most developed intersections in the country, an image of an old-growth forest is projected on every media screen, as a large crowd gathers. The lush greenery of the scene is the only “nature” that can be seen in this concrete space, save for a few small trees in planters along Yonge Street. The screens go dark and the show begins.
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Read MoreBy Mariam Matti
UofT News
Earlier in his career as a photographer and artist, Edward Burtynsky saw an opportunity to dedicate his life’s work to a single idea: humanity's impact on the planet.
In the 1980s, Burtynsky saw the growing sustainability challenges posed by the combination of heavy industry and billions of people.
His work would ultimately take him all over the world – and garner numerous awards and accolades – as he captured how humanity is reshaping the Earth through resource extraction, urban sprawl and manufacturing, to name a few.
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Read MoreCuriocity
The whole immersive art experience might be a little played out in Toronto, but we definitely think this is an exception to the rule. Edward Burtynsky, who is one of Canada’s preeminent photographers and artists, is putting on a new experience called “In the Wake of Progress“.
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Read MoreBy Laura Decarufel
The Kit
As a culture, we’ve long relied on artists to both interpret our existing reality and to light a path to the future. Edward Burtynsky, 67, has been acting as such a prophet for 40 years. In his large-scale photographs of shipyards in China, logged forests in B.C. and African landfills dotted with Dollarama bags, he captures both the majestic beauty of our world—and the scale of the problems facing it.
Burtynsky’s latest project, “In the Wake of Progress,” is an immersive installation and a cri de coeur about the threat of climate change. (It debuts in June as part of Toronto’s Luminato arts festival and will then travel internationally.) The installation is two-pronged: a public art piece in Yonge-Dundas Square and a considerably more private experience, where viewers sit in a darkened room surrounded by three massive screens showing still photos and video—taken by Burtynsky across his career, around the world—all set to music that is alternately menacing and hopeful, courtesy of birdsong from ancient B.C. forests. As a career retrospective, it’s impressive. As a work of art, it’s beautiful, heartbreaking, galvanizing.
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Read MoreBy Alex Derry
Toronto Life Insider
Edward Burtynsky is one of the world’s most accomplished contemporary photographers. His latest project, In the Wake of Progress, will make its virtual world premiere with Luminato Festival on October 16, 2021. We spoke with Burtynsky about his 40-year journey as an artist depicting global industrial landscapes, how his work is a call to action for collective action on climate change, and more.
Read the full interview here.
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