Project

Deep Blue

“At the intersection of art and science, DEEP BLUE is a beautiful reminder that only our collective action – inspired by art and grounded in science – will help us preserve the wonderful patrimony of life that the Great Lakes represent for future generations. This three-dimensional, community-created installation serves to deepen our appreciation for the beauty of Lake Ontario and our understanding of the correlation between the health of the lake and the vitality of the people who live on its shores. We are honoured and delighted to give DEEP BLUE a permanent home at the Ontario Science Centre, where it will inspire the public to take the environmental action necessary to safeguard the ecology of the Great Lakes.”
Maurice Bitran
CEO and Chief Science Officer, Ontario Science Centre

Project: Deep Blue
Artists: LabSpace
Installation Site: Ontario Science Centre (OSC)

DEEP BLUE, is a participatory, community-based art project by Labspace Studio in collaboration with Daniel Ranger, a junior ambassador for the Great Lakes Trust. 

Labspace Studio and Daniel conducted month long origami workshops in the Inventorium at the OSC. Over 3,000 participants took part in the workshops creating origami shapes that depict various Lake Ontario species. Upon completion, the origami pieces were suspended in the shape of Lake Ontario in the Living Earth exhibit hall. The collaborative art installation celebrates the beauty, ecology and majestic depths of Lake Ontario.

Artists: Labspace Studio is a Toronto-based artist collective and creative studio founded in 2007 by collaborators John Loerchner and Laura Mendes. Using the city as their laboratory and playground they explore the intricate connections between people and places, often examining the dualism between natural and urban environments. Their projects are often participatory and site-driven, incorporating elements of installation, sculpture, multimedia and public-generated content. Their work has been presented in Canada and abroad in galleries, public parks, shopping malls, festivals, public transit, storefronts, and city streets.