John Tory
born Toronto, Ontario, 1954

Installation
(2022)

This artwork invites the viewer to contemplate violence, and the threat of violence, as well as the nature of Toronto’s governance. An encampment of Toronto residents were violently removed by police on this site, which the artist characterized as “reasonable, firm but compassionate.” In its aftermath, this sign serves as a monument to that conflict, but it is also a powerful declaration of how the city works. The piece is a collaborative artwork with the citizens of Toronto, who have added their own discourse on the nature of rules, and the legitimacy of their government. But the threatening subtext remains clear: ultimately rules may be enforced with violence.