Adrian Blackwell (born and lives in Toronto, Canada) is a settler artist, urban designer, theorist and educator. Adrian’s practice focuses on the relation between physical spaces and political, economic forces. His work has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial (2019); the Chengdu Biennale (2011); and the Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (2005). Adrian is associate professor of architecture at the University of Waterloo and co-editor of the 2021 issue of Scapegoat: Architecture / Landscape / Political Economy titled “c\a\n\a\d\a: delineating nation state capitalism.”
Learn more about Adrian Blackwell’s practice by listening to the Toronto Biennial of Art Podcast “Short Format” – season 1, episode 5 – available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Works
Adrian Blackwell at 259 Lake Shore Blvd E
Location: 259 Lake Shore Blvd East
The ancient Greek term isonomia implies political equality. Blackwell’s two site-responsive, non-hierarchical structures at the Biennial are spaces to gather for weekly programs and contemplate isonomia in the face of colonial governance structures that have overtaken those of Indigenous peoples. At 259 Lake Shore, Isonomia in Toronto? (harbour) is modelled…
Adrian Blackwell at Small Arms
Location: Small Arms Inspection Building (2019)
Isonomia in Toronto? (creek) hosts weekly performances and readings throughout the Biennial. Visitors are invited to sit within the infinite curves, folds, and knots of Blackwell’s 300-foot-long cushion. An image of the shoreline of Etobicoke Creek—also known as wadoopikaang in Anishinaabemowin (“the place where the alders grow”)—stretches along its length,…
Programs
Short Format Podcast Series
Short Format is a podcast series created by Aliya Pabani and Angela Shackel for the Toronto Biennial of Art. In expanding dialogues around the inaugural Toronto Biennial of Art, selected artists discussed their practice and processes in a series of short format podcasts and audiograms. Participating artists and collectives included…
Delineating a nation-state: A Conversation
Location: Small Arms Inspection Building (2019)
Delineating a nation-state is a preview of the forthcoming issue 12 of Scapegoat: Architecture / Landscape / Political Economy, featuring: Roberto Damiani, Irena Latek, and Karyn Recollet, moderated by co-editors David Fortin and Adrian Blackwell. This conversation will examine the relationship between urban morphology and processes of settler colonialism, through…
The View From Here: Reading a Moving Shoreline
Location: 259 Lake Shore Blvd East
Fadi Masoud is a landscape architect and planner who focuses on the relationships between large-scale environmental systems, dynamic design, and the instrumentality of planning policies. Adrian Blackwell is an artist, designer, and theorist interested in the relationship between political economy and the production of physical spaces. In the context of…