Royal Botanical Gardens is hoping to prove that its gorgeous and scenic gardens can offer more than a peaceful daytime walk among the flowers.
The Burlington attraction is giving its largest contemporary art exhibition to date an adults-only transformation through RBG After Dark, a series of evenings featuring DJs, live music, art workshops, themed food and drinks, interactive activities and illuminated sculptures.
At the centre is ANCHORBALL: A Curious Art Journey, the first Canadian exhibition by contemporary sculptor Ken Kelleher, also known as Anchorball. On display until Sept. 20, the exhibition places 18 colourful sculptures — some reaching 12 feet tall — throughout RBG’s Hendrie Park.
Visitors can also use their phones to find five hidden augmented-reality Cloudwalkers across the garden. Discovering all five unlocks a final digital artwork.
For Jeremy Freiburger, RBG’s first-ever cultural development lead, the exhibition is part of a much bigger effort to reshape how people view the 85-year-old institution.
“I think for a long time the perception of RBG has been that it’s like a great place to take your mom on Mother’s Day,” Freiburger told Now Toronto. “And not necessarily a place where young people would find something exciting and vibrant to do.”
Freiburger joined RBG after working alongside the organization for roughly a decade as the curator and manager of its permanent sculpture collection. In his new role, he is responsible for introducing fresh cultural programming, connecting the organization’s exhibitions and performances and building stronger relationships with artists and creative communities.
He also wants to establish RBG as a cultural hub with an identity distinct from traditional galleries, performance venues and festivals.
“What are the things that we can do that are totally different than other venues or facilities in the region to make RBG a special spot to visit?” he said.
Turning the gardens into an after-hours destination
Freiburger believes RBG’s natural setting gives it the space to create nightlife experiences that cannot easily be recreated inside a conventional venue.
The gardens sit between Hamilton and Burlington, close to Aldershot GO Station but far enough from Toronto to feel like an escape from the city.
“We’re just far enough away from Toronto that almost no matter where you come from, you feel like you’ve escaped the city and you’ve come to some faraway place when really we’re right in your backyard,” he said.
The 19-plus After Dark evenings are designed as relaxed alternatives to crowded concerts or clubs. Guests can listen to DJs, explore sculptures, enjoy food and drinks, or participate in changing activities that include tile-making, character art and custom poetry created on a vintage typewriter.
“We want you to come here and be a kid again,” Freiburger said. “We want you to come here and get messy making some art and having a great time.”
The food and beverages were also developed around the artwork’s bright colours and cultural influences. RBG partnered with Collective Arts to create a Mexican cerveza featuring Kelleher’s artwork, while its culinary team introduced flavours inspired by the sculptures.
Freiburger said ANCHORBALL was selected because it offers an approachable entry point into contemporary art.
“He’s really just brought joy and fun to the table, and he’s pulled it all together in this quirky universe called Low Orbit City,” he said. “I think it’s a nice gateway for people that might be hunting for an art experience, but don’t want something that’s too heavy.”
Around 600 to 700 people typically attend an After Dark event, but Freiburger hopes that number will eventually reach 1,500 or 2,000. Even with hundreds of visitors, he said Hendrie Park offers enough room for guests to leave the main DJ area, follow trails into the woods and find quieter places to experience the work.
The sculptures also change as daylight fades. Small accent lights illuminate their bases while the setting sun alters their colours and surroundings.
“I love the idea that we’re letting the artwork evolve and shift by letting it be out at different times of day,” Freiburger said.
Following the first event on July 3, he saw visitors sharing nighttime photographs of the artwork and telling organizers that the series offered the kind of evening experience they had been seeking in the region.
“It’s not a ruckus concert night,” he said. “It’s a nice chill, fun time to come out.”
The remaining RBG After Dark events are scheduled for Aug. 8, Aug. 22 and Sept. 5. ANCHORBALL: A Curious Art Journey remains on display daily through Sept. 20.
