TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust (“SmartCentres”) (TSX:SRU.UN) officially unveils the PXL Gallery, a 10,000 square foot low resolution LED permanent art installation in SmartVMC, its flagship 100-acre master-planned city centre in Vaughan. This modern art installation features rotating exhibits of curated moving artwork created by acclaimed digital artists.
The PXL Gallery, which adorns the façade of one of the SmartVMC residential towers, is integrated into the area’s architecture and building design, reinforcing that art and culture are a forethought in SmartCentres’ developments. It is a beacon for the area, overlooking the on-site SmartVMC regional bus terminal and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station; a bona fide light at the end of the tunnel. The PXL Gallery is only one of many high-impact art installations that have debuted in Vaughan’s new city centre this summer.
“The PXL Gallery at SmartVMC introduces digital art, a progressive contemporary art form that is on the rise,” says Mitchell Goldhar, Executive Chairman, SmartCentres. “The PXL Gallery is a 10,000 square foot LED canvas, integrated into the building’s design, at the nexus of three 55-storey residential towers, the TTC subway station and the new regional bus terminal. The PXL Gallery brings new meaning to hanging art on the wall.”
Digital art, an art form created by software, on a computer platform, has begun to gain global attention over the past decade, with unlimited opportunity for impact and practicality. The more technology evolves, the more digital art blossoms. The versatility of this technology as a medium marries well with the scale of SmartVMC’s PXL Gallery. Just as a traditional art gallery showcases featured artists, the PXL Gallery’s digital flexibility enables artists’ exhibits to rotate on-demand.
The PXL Gallery’s inaugural artwork was curated in collaboration with the City of Vaughan’s Senior Art Curator, Sharon Gaum-Kuchar. An open call for submissions invited artists to submit proposals of their vision. Acclaimed artists Jim Campbell, Rafaël Rozendaal and Rob King were awarded commissions, and their artwork will be the PXL Gallery’s first three rotational features.
“Public art is an urban design mechanism that brings vibrancy to the forefront, and gives a personality to the city,” says Ms. Gaum-Kuchar. “The PXL Gallery is theatrical and dynamic. It is not a static entity. The artist’s work is constantly morphing and evolving, and the resulting effect is a sense of transformation that really aligns with the vision for SmartVMC.”
Along with creating artwork for an upcoming PXL Gallery exhibit, San Francisco-based artist and digital pioneer, Jim Campbell, was instrumental in the design and development of the PXL Gallery. Known for his contemporary, low-resolution LED lightworks, Campbell worked alongside SmartCentres, Diamond Schmitt, Studio F Minus and Mulvey & Banani Lighting to investigate LED technology, glass, frit patterns and input standards while conducting substantial testing on the infrastructure supporting the gallery.
ON DISPLAY NOW: Silence, Rafaël Rozendaal
Based in New York, Rafaël Rozendaal is a Dutch-Brazilian artist who uses the internet as his canvas. Silence is a digital artwork consisting of three ambient moving images. The works are almost abstract, but a suggestion of space and movement hint at experiences of landscape and travel. With restrained, minimal elements of color and rhythm, a maximal experience is created of immersion and contemplation.
Jim Campbell’s work will debut this fall, followed by digital art by Rob King.
Best viewed after sundown, the PXL Gallery’s summer hours are daily between 9:00pm and 12:00am. It is located on the west side of Millway Avenue between Portage Parkway and Apple Mill Road in SmartVMC.
ArtWalk at SmartVMC
The official launch of the PXL Gallery comes only weeks after the debut of ArtWalk, SmartVMC’s new art district. ArtWalk was launched with a collection of accessible and experiential activations, including 30,000 square feet of Instagrammable art murals, painted by acclaimed artists, Ricardo Cavalo, birdO, Ben Johnston and Jeremy Shantz. The murals are the backdrop for ArtWalk’s daily food market and a series of free drive-in movies, running every Thursday and Saturday through to September 30th. For more information on the ArtWalk activations, including movie listings, showtimes and registration, visit: smartvmc.com/events
The current ArtWalk activations set the tone for the new district’s art-inspired mixed-use development, inclusive of Hariri Pontarini-designed condominiums, commercial, retail and coworking space, open greenspace, and public amenities. This development will overlook SmartVMC’s nine-acre central park, which is scheduled to break ground later this year.
SmartVMC
With five sold-out condos, two fully occupied office towers, and both the TTC subway station and regional bus terminal on site, SmartVMC is one of Canada’s fastest growing communities. This new city centre at Highways 400 and 7 in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is emerging just as Canadians move out of downtown cores. It offers the benefits of life north of the city, with the energy and vibrancy of a city centre, making the prospect of ‘the best of both worlds’ a reality.
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About SmartCentres REIT
SmartCentres was started over thirty years ago because we believed that Canadians deserved products they could afford, at convenient times, in stores that were close to home. By fulfilling those needs, SmartCentres has grown and expanded into communities across every province across Canada.
Today, Canadians need transit-connected rental apartments, condos, townhomes and seniors’ residences with access to retail, offices and storage facilities — as well as open, green spaces and places to gather. So, SmartCentres is evolving, and SmartLiving has emerged, with a $13.1B plan to transform our properties from shopping centres to city centres. We plan, develop, build and manage holistic communities coast-to-coast.
SmartCentres has 3,500 acres of land across 168 prime locations where we’ve consistently provided a best-in-class retail experience. Now, because we’ve always respected Canadians' needs, we’re creating communities that Canadians can be proud to call home. Visit smartcentres.com for more information.
