In a statement, the Lassonde Art Trail announced plans to establish a public art path in Toronto by 2026, stretching four kilometers and featuring artistic works. They revealed that Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, recently named the winner of the Lassonde Art Trail’s Destination Artwork competition, will introduce ‘Artemisa’, a new permanent installation along Toronto’s waterfront scheduled for completion in 2027.
The organization noted that further details will be shared as the date approaches.
Established through a donation by entrepreneur and philanthropist Pierre Lassonde, the “Art Trail” aims to begin its first season in the summer of 2026 as a “dynamic public art experience” showcasing a program of notable artworks, both permanent and rotational, available throughout the year and entirely free of charge.
The project is part of a broader development focusing on the Toronto waterfront facing Lake Ontario, which includes plans to redirect the Don River’s mouth and construct flood protection for downtown Toronto.
For the inaugural season in summer, the Lassonde Art Trail will feature works—either commissioned or loaned—from artists such as Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka, Alexandre Arrechea, Caroline Monnet & Dean Baldwin Lew, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Hamilton, Kent Monkman, Lisa Hirmer, Monira Al Qadiri, Nadia Belerique & Tony Romano, Oluseye, Ryan Gander, and Tracey Emin.
Joana Vasconcelos, born in 1971, has a career spanning over three decades, distinguished by the decontextualization of everyday objects and the adaptation of traditional crafts into the 21st century, addressing themes like the role of women, consumer society, and cultural identity.
Vasconcelos represented Portugal at the Venice Art Biennale in 2013, exhibiting a ferryboat transformed into an artwork at the main location of the international contemporary exhibition.
She was the first female artist and the youngest creator to showcase her work at the Palace of Versailles in a solo exhibition, with her works displayed in institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Spain), the Pitti Palace, and the Uffizi Galleries (Florence, Italy), among others.
