WHAT'S THE MEANING BEHIND THE MONUMENT to MULTICULTURALISM

Name of installation: Monument to Multiculturalism

Artist: Francesco Perilli

Location: Outside of Union Station at 65 Front St. W.

Date of origin: Unveiled on July 1, 1985, Toronto’s sesquicentennial (150th anniversary).

What’s it supposed to be?: Commissioned by the Congress of Italian Canadians, and designed by Italian sculptor Francesco Perilli, this monument, as the name suggests, honours the multicultural heritage of Toronto. Though it has drawn a good deal of criticism since it was first unveiled nearly 27 years ago (art critics consider it to be rather kitschy), the sculpture enjoys a prime location in the city—though you wouldn’t know by looking at it nowadays, thanks to all the construction wreaking havoc in the area. Consisting of a three metre–tall, bronze nude male attempting (with the help of doves) to pull lines of longitude above his head and make a globe shape, the piece symbolizes the creation of a new world and is meant to represent how people from around the globe have made this country their home. There are also bronze inscriptions at the base of the sculpture that bear quotes from the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as a quote from Pierre Elliot Trudeau on the importance of multiculturalism in Canada. And despite the criticism the sculpture has incurred, it seems to be both locally and internationally popular as replica monuments have popped up in Buffalo City, South Africa, Changchun, China, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Sydney, Australia. Fun fact: from time to time, the monument has to be removed and refinished as pigeon droppings apparently have a less than flattering effect on bronze.

Source: David Rutka. The Grid. 2012. http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/whats-the-meaning-of-this-monument-to-multiculturalism/