Offering international designers and emerging artists an opportunity to showcase socially distanced installations
Winter Stations is launching its 8th edition of the annual competition, with plans of returning to the beach after a one-year hiatus. Launched by RAW Architects, Ferris + Associates and Curio in 2015, the competition captures the imagination of local and international designers, asking them to transform the utilitarian lifeguard stations along Toronto’s east-end beaches into whimsical works of public art. As an event that takes place solely outdoors in the expanse of the beach, Winter Stations will once again be moving forward with the design competition portion of their annual program in anticipation of mounting a safe, socially distant exhibition in 2022.
While Toronto’s beaches are not typically as well-visited in the colder seasons, Winter Stations has successfully drawn city dwellers out to explore the interactive installations. In a time where outdoor spaces have never been more vital, Winter Stations is calling on the design community to submit their visions as registration opens for the 2022 competition. Submissions are due by 11:59 pm EST on November 25, 2021, with winners announced on January 10, 2022.
“The star of Winter Stations has always been the beach, and the unique winter setting it provides. With the openness of the landscape, and the distance between each lifeguard stand, we’re excited to once again come back to The Beach community in 2022,” said Winter Stations founder Roland Rom Colthoff. “At the same time, the exhibits earlier this year at the Distillery District and along Queen Street were quite successful in their own right. We’re thankful to our partners for making it happen and open to the possibility of exhibiting in multiple settings next year.”
All 2022 installations will be temporarily constructed for six weeks and must be able to withstand the rigours of Toronto’s winter weather. Winter Stations 2022 will aim to build out 4-6 lifeguard stations at Woodbine Beach in east Toronto. Installations will be unveiled on Family Day weekend in Canada (February 21, 2022) and will be available for viewing until March 31, 2022.
The previous editions collaborated with leading Canadian postsecondary institutions such as Ryerson University, University of Toronto, OCAD University, Laurentian University, University of Waterloo, Humber College, University of Guelph and Sheridan College, giving young designers a platform to showcase their work. For the 8th edition, Winter Stations is partnering again with postsecondary institutions, Guelph University and Ryerson University.
The competition is open to all entries around the world. There is no fee to enter. Winning teams will be rewarded CAD$2500. For more information visit: https://winterstations.com/competition/
“It has been a challenging moment for us all, but events like this bring light and energy to the cold, dark winter months. For years, Winter Stations has brought people together from all over the world to celebrate art and community. It’s exciting to know this edition will be back by the beach, and people will be able to enjoy the outdoors.” said Brad Bradford, Toronto City Councillor, Ward 19 Beaches-East York.
2022 Theme: Resilience
Over the course of the last year and a half, we have so clearly witnessed the immense ability of people to withstand and push through challenging and unprecedented times. In recognition and celebration of this courage, the theme chosen for the 2022 edition of Winter Stations is Resilience: the ability to withstand adversity and recover from difficulties.
To be resilient, one is faced with hardship, confronts it, and pushes to overcome it. Whether on a micro or macro scale, families, livelihoods, cities, and countries have experienced loss and isolation – but also – have been presented with great opportunities for adaptation and growth. This year, we not only reflect on all the ways people have had to be resilient, but the ways people have channeled this resilience, be it through communities, movements, support networks and more.
As Winter Stations moves forward this year, we are adapting and evolving, as many are, and ask designers to conceptualize their station to be experienced up close and from afar, in-person and virtually, as we acknowledge in-person and travel restrictions. Furthermore, given unforeseen circumstances regarding our installation sites, stations should be designed structurally independent of the lifeguard stands and be suitable for both a sandy beach environment and a flat urban surface.
Sponsors:
Winter Stations is proudly sponsored by the The Beach BIA, Sud Group. Minto Communities, Sali Tabacchi Branding and Design, and Meevo Digital.
Winter Stations is currently open to sponsors who are passionate about giving emerging artists and designers the opportunity to showcase their work and launch their careers on an international platform. Sponsorships will also cover the cost of materials and labour that are sourced locally and sustainability, supporting local businesses.
Important information:
Competition Deadline: November 25, 2021
Winners announced: January 10, 2022
Beach Exhibition: February 21 – March 31, 2022
Opening Night: February 17, 2022
Where: Kew and Woodbine Beach, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
For more information, please visit winterstations.com.