Toronto residents may have witnessed a man dressed as a soccer referee stepping out in front of traffic at busy intersections across downtown and showing careless drivers a yellow or red card.
The stunt is actually a performance piece created by documentary photographer and artist Martin Reis.
Reis was born in Kassel, Germany and has worked as a performance artist for over two decades, with his work regularly featured by Canadian media outlets and in film and art festivals.
Reis announced the ‘Crosswalk Referee’ project via his instagram in July, which he timed to run in conjunction with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, though it has no official affiliation with the competition.
“The Federation of International Fun Artists (FIFA), presents a performance art work based in interventionist practise which uses the universal languages of football and humour to address pedestrian safety, privilege and social interaction in dense urban settings,” Reis said in an Instagram post.
READ MORE: Ontarians can drink alcohol as early as 7 a.m. during FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer
The first “match/intervention,” as Reis playfully coined it, took place during rush hour at Bathurst and Richmond streets on July 27. Dressed in full referee garb, with a whistle and cards in hand, Reis stood ready to ‘book’ drivers failing to comply with the rules of the road.
(Courtesy: Martin Reis / Instagram)
The chaos caused by Toronto traffic provided the perfect backdrop for Reis to shed light on the trials and tribulations of being a pedestrian or cyclist in the city at the height of rush hour.
Reiss is a vocal advocate for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists downtown, often tweeting about the urgent need for better bike lanes and more pedestrian-friendly streets.
Love a fun victory ride! (maybe I can get another shot like this one!) 🚲✌️📸 https://t.co/8lFAuDen53
— Martin Reis (@BikeLaneDiary) June 26, 2023
His humorous act to raise awareness about road safety garnered a hugely positive response online.
“Oscar worthy performance brought a lot of attention to Toronto’s outrageously entitled drivers,” one X user wrote.
“It’s just about the funniest, most creative, genius thing I’ve seen! *chef’s kiss*,” another user tweeted.
“Magnificent. I wonder if VAR (Video assistant Referee) can be brought in to help though,” someone else said.