Oh Canada, My Canada

Bringing conversation about shared responsibility to main street

By: Imran Babur, Emily Kerr, and Ron Ma

“Oh Canada, My Canada” is a public art project that aims to expose the hypocrisy that runs rampant within the country we call Canada. Canadians live under the illusion that we are good, just and innocent. However, COVID-19 has exposed these cracks in Canadian society. Our aim is to show the true nature of discrimination and oppression that occurs here in our “home and native land.” More than ever before, we need to know what's taking place in our own backyards - and we need to be interested in knowing in the first place. This piece is a digital art exhibition to be installed in high-traffic areas around Toronto. We plan to install a 9x3 grid of 50” TV monitors in large, open spaces. Each monitor will contain an individual photo of a rotting maple leaf from various angles. Using the "Artivive" app for smartphones, people will be able to discover encrypted messages, videos, and art pieces within the photographs that explore human rights abuses occurring right here in our country. We believe that cities serve as engines of inspiration and act as centres of cultural and social well-being. By showcasing “Oh Canada, My Canada” on main streets, we hope to foster vibrant, resilient, and healthy communities through inspiring a sense of shared responsibility to fix the very issues that cause COVID-19 to disproportionately affect certain Canadian demographics. We hope that this exhibition will act as a springboard of sorts, in order to strengthen the link between public art and civic engagement through art that engages the public, while also addressing major issues (including the current COVID-19 pandemic) facing Canada today.