PARK PARK

James Lai : photographer

Alexis Venerus : curator

Trinity Bellwoods : where

07.24-26.2018 : when

Trinity Bellwoods Park is the nexus for summertime activities in Toronto. From millennials having beers on the down-low by the dog bowl (with hawkish Chinese seniors scoping for empties) to the hardcore slacklining/frisbee guys to family-friendly picnics - there are all types of people hanging out all the time. It’s a park that's filled with laughter, single gear bikes, doggos and wafts of pot smoke.

In early July I had a brief 9-day vacation in Berlin and became curious about the summer leisure life there. These photographs placed throughout Trinity Bellwoods are small, surface level snippets of various park-like spaces in Berlin.

-James Lai

James Lai is Ness Lee's favourite Asian Canadian photographer. His photos mark a place with their existence of someone who was truly present in the moment. James loves to dance. Instead of depicting a story, he moves around taking photos of little quirks and after shooting rolls and rolls of film - some of which he develops and all of which he scans himself - he finds the story in what he's seen.

With Park Park James shares the story of the open spaces he experienced while on a trip to Berlin in June 2018. The photos are placed in location in his local park Trinity Bellwoods allowing a contrast and comparison to occur between there and here. The nature of exhibit using lawn signs explores the temporal nature of a photographed scene. It also allows the printed images to be "stolen" by admirers bringing the show to an end when all the pieces have been removed from the location.

The exhibition is organized by Alexus Projects with help by Emmett Phan for graphic design.

See more of James work @thejameslai

Check out James, Emmett and Ness's troll thing SAD ART STORE