Friendswithyou created an entire fantasy world of crazy, bright and graphic inflatables that was sheer delight to wander through. Some were just adorable, like this happy, striped Mushroom cap:  

Friendly Funghi

 While others were oddly interactive, like a totem with a spinning Noddy head, and this hilarious black and white figure that occasionally exhaled puffs of smoke.  

Smokin’ inflatables

 Kudos to Luminato on one level: It was indeed a coup to have Friendwithyou’s work on display here. The design duo, who have worked for clients from Nike to Target and Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers, and who create both futurist fine artworks such as those currently on exhibit at Narwhal Art Projects as well as pop art 4 sale such as highly grphic anime-inspired figurines and t-shirts–are at the cutting edge of 21st century art and practice.  What was disturbing, however, was how low Luminato was prepared to go to pay the way for the installation. L’Oreal, the Festival’s major “partner in creativity”, for example, along with other corporate sponsors such as Vichy  and National Bank, had been permitted to set up their own little tents inside the park that were little more than kiosks or booths at a dumb trade show which, to my mind, completely wrecked the art that they were there to “support”.  

Garnier Fructis shampoo's creative installation

Now I’m hardly against corporate underwriting of public arts events. Without them, unfortunately, here in art-negative North America, there wouldn’t be any art on offer. But why can’t we afford to have an arts festival where the sponsors aren’t simply given free rein to advertise their crap any lazy way they choose? If L’Oreal really is a “partner in creativity”, well why don’t they kick it up a notch and get real artists in to do something instead of hiring a woman with a head mike to demonstrate shampoo like its the Shopping Channel smack dab in the middle of an art installation? At the very least, it shows an utter lack of imagination. What’s worse for L’Oreal, and ultimately the Luminato Festival, is that it has zero class.  

Speaking of class, I saw the brilliant and accomplished chef Susur Lee, who had signed up for the Tastes of Toronto annex of this installation, whipping up a bacth of his brilliant Singaporean cole slaw before whipping off his chef’s garb and getting the hell out of there as quickly as humanly possible. Presumably it wasn’t exactly what the visionary, and ever-elegant chef had in mind either when he had agreed to appear. 

And then of course, there were hundreds of volunteers standing around uselessly just spoiling the effect, and the view.  

At least they are in blue