Toronto Biennial’s Susannah Rosenstock on the Best of Canada’s Global City
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Toronto, situated by the magnificent Lake Ontario, is not just the most populous city of Canada but also one of its most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities. As an important destination for immigrants from all over the world, coupled with its own history oToronto Biennial’s Susannah Rosenstock on the Best of Canada’s Global City
Toronto, situated by the magnificent Lake Ontario, is not just the most populous city of Canada but also one of its most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities. As an important destination for immigrants from all over the world, coupled with its own history of indigenous habitation for several thousands of years, Toronto has a multi-layered identity, making it an ideal place for creativity to take root and grow.The city’s global spirit will reflect amply in its inaugural Toronto Biennial of Art that gets launched on September 21 and will be held through December 1, 2019. Ahead of the biennial, Blouin Artinfo spoke with Susannah Rosenstock, Deputy Director and Director of Exhibitions for Toronto Biennial on how to make the most of this city.How long have you been living in Toronto and what do you like best about this city?I moved to Toronto from New York in 2007. I like the DIY nature of the city, that makes it feel like the possibilities are endless. It’s exciting to live in a relatively young city — Toronto’s best days are definitely ahead.As the city gets ready for its inaugural biennial, what do you think makes Toronto a great choice to host art from around the world with a focus on inclusivity?Toronto is one of the most, maybe the most diverse city in the world, making it absolutely the perfect place to launch a biennial of this nature. It was always clear from the launch of this project that inclusivity, accessibility and education would be at the core of the Biennial and that it hasd to be true to this city, while reflecting on global conversations.How would you describe the cultural pulse of Toronto? What makes it different from most other art hubs of the western world?Other art hubs of the western world have been art hubs now for decades, or longer — New York, London. Toronto is just establishing itself as an arts and culture hub and destination, which makes it so exciting to be a part of.Besides getting an opportunity to visit the Toronto Biennial, what makes the period of September-December a good time to visit this city?The fall is the busiest time in the city and you could attend an exhibition, event, show, play, performance every day of the week of you wanted to. The season starts off with TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival, September 5-15), and then all of the museum and gallery openings, and then Nuit Blanche (October 5) and Art Toronto (October 25-27). The Biennial always wanted to be a part of that fall art season.Besides the biennial — in itself a massive offering of art — what are the other art centers of the city that one should not miss while visiting for the biennial? What are the must-visit museums, galleries and other venues of Toronto that you would especially recommend?The not-to-miss list has gotten pretty big since I moved here. Of course there are the bigger museums and galleries — the AGO, the Power Plant and MOCA and the smaller public galleries including AGYU, Mercer Union, and the Art Museum at the University of Toronto as well as Scrap Metal which is privately owned, but not commercial. For commercial galleries, I don’t want to pick favorites, but most art in the West end including Susan Hobbs, Georgia Sherman Projects, Zalucky Contemporary, MKG 127, Daniel Faria Gallery, Clint Roenisch and Olga Korper.Who are the Toronto-based artists that one must know about — both established and upcoming?Chris Curreri, Luis, Jacob, Julia Dault, Nadia Bellerique, Syrus Marcus Ware, Alex McLeod.Any annual cultural events of Toronto that one must not miss while visiting the city for the biennial? Well, I’m a bit biased because I was formerly the Director of Art Toronto, but for those visiting in late October, you can’t miss the fair. It’s Canada’s only international art fair, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and is host to all of Canada’s top Modern and Contemporary galleries.What are the best venues of the city to catch a live performance — a play, opera, music, dance?For a world-class performance, the Four Seasons Centre hosts the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company — both are fantastic.What are the restaurants/ coffee shops of Toronto that are popular with the art fraternity? Which is your favourite and why?Forno Cultura has several locations, but there’s now one in MOCA, which is relatively new, and it’s a great place to see the art world and the Sterling Road neighborhood community come together. I also think they have the best coffee in the city. Creeds is also on my list – the owners have an extensive art collection, some of which is featured in the cafe. My newest discovery is Neo, a Japanese coffee shop. It’s near the Biennial’s main venue at 259 Lake Shore Blvd east, and their matcha latte is amazing.Which part of Toronto offers a truly international vibe? Any hanging out places there you would recommend for the art fraternity?I don’t know if there’s anywhere in the city that doesn’t have an international vibe, if I think about it. I live near Parkdale and I love walking around there. You can get Tibetan momos, hipster coffee, vegan anything and shop for clothes, jewellery, design from local designers.Which is your favourite restaurant to sample local cuisine?It depends on the vibe you’re looking for — La Palma is one of my favorites these days — you can’t go wrong there. In the summer, I love to sit outside at Barraida on College Street. It’s a very neighborhood, Portuguese restaurant with a huge garden where you can eat grilled sardines, drink sangria and just totally relax. Mothers Dumplings in Chinatown was one of my first finds when I moved here, and still one of our family favorites.What are the best places to buy art in Toronto?The best is certainly Art Toronto, in late October. The galleries I mentioned above all represent a great roster of Canadian and international artists.What are the popular shopping avenues of the city that all visitors must definitely check out?Queen West, all the way from Spadina to Roncesvalles, Ossington from Queen to Dundas, Dundas West.What’s your favourite place in the city to catch up with friends?My backyard.What are the best bookstores of Toronto and why do you like them?Type is hands down the best bookstore. The people who work there have read everything, so you can really ask them questions and for recommendations. I always leave there with more books than I expected to buy, and I always make discoveries.What are the best parks of the city and which is your favourite?My favorites are High Park, for a hike or long walk, and Trinity Bellwoods for a picnic and people watching.After a busy weekend exploring the biennial, what are the weekend getaways in and near Toronto that one could explore to chill out?I would recommend a day trip to the McMichael Collection. It feels like a mini-vacation even though it’s less than an hour from downtown, and the collection and exhibitions are always impressive. The Toronto Islands are also one of the best gems this city has — just a short ferry ride away and it really feels like a getaway. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times} https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more