Beyond Concrete Opening Weekend

The Bentway

Aliens of Manila by Leeroy New. Photo by Brandon Ferguson.

Three days of art, performances, and events!

May 26 – May 28, 2023
Season runs until September 24, 2023
The Bentway, Toronto

This summer, The Bentway presents Beyond Concrete, a series of art installations, performances, and conversations that explore how urban nature and built environments can co-exist, collide, and collaborate.

Programming includes the first North American commission by Filipino artist Leeroy New; the North American premiere of Brazilian choreographer Clarice Lima; new and existing works from Torontonian artists Alex Sheriff, Lisa Jackson, Public Visualization Lab/Studio; a vibrant Opening Night Party on Friday, May 26; and an array of free talks, tours, and workshops.

Beyond Concrete Opening Night Party
May 26

The season starts with the Beyond Concrete Opening Night Party on May 26. Enjoy a lively, celebratory evening with food trucks, DJs, bar service, and a performance – surrounded by new artwork from the season. Experience the art while you mix, mingle, and dance! The evening culminates with an energetic appearance by Leeroy New’s The Aliens of Manila, choreographed by Toronto’s own Danah Rosales.

Tickets are $20 and include one drink.

Get tickets here

WOODS by Clarice Lima. Photo by Vojtěch Brtnický.

WOODS
By Clarice Lima
Free performances May 27 and May 28

Against Toronto’s high-rise horizon, encounter an array of upside-down human bodies growing out of the concrete, reminiscent of ancient and forgotten forests. In Clarice Lima’s WOODS, participants’ bodies struggle to maintain their verticality, calling attention to the struggle that nature itself faces: How long can the body resist? How long can our forests survive? What happens when their time – and ours – runs out?

Visiting Toronto, and North America, for the first time, this powerful performance prompts us to consider the struggle of nature amidst human development and deforestation, and the impacts on our cities and planet.

Photo by Andrew Wiliamson.

Free Tours, Talks, and Workshops

Join us under the Gardiner on May 27 and May 28 for a series of free artist talks, curators’ tours, and creative workshops that reflect on Beyond Concrete.

Event schedule here

About The Bentway

The Bentway works to ignite the urban imagination, using the city as site, subject, and canvas.

Anchored under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway and guiding its complex future, The Bentway is a growing public space, and much more. The Bentway is a new type of civic organization: a not-for-profit, powered by vital partnerships with the City of Toronto, residents, supporters, artists, city-builders, and dreamers. The Bentway is a catalyst rooted in experimentation, leading a creative movement to re-imagine the opportunities of urban spaces.