SLIDESHOW: A preview of Art Toronto, this weekend’s massive downtown art expo

Art Toronto, Canada’s largest contemporary art fair, is really several things at once: a stadium-sized art expo; a multimillion-dollar fine art sale; and the year’s most important networking event for collectors, curators, artists and enthusiasts. Spread out over four days, the 200,000-square foot fair transforms the Metro Toronto Convention Centre into a warren of temporary galleries displaying works by hundreds of painters, photographers, sketchers, silkscreeners and mixed-media savants from across Canada (e.g. Winnipeg-based photographer Sarah Anne Johnson) and around the world (e.g. controversial Brit artist Damien Hirst). For art lovers, it’s an opportunity to nerd-out to lectures, panels and tours; for neophytes, a chance to soak up some culture and perhaps snag a piece to hang above the couch (with artwork going for as low as $300 and as high as $500,000, the event caters to all buyers). Here, a preview of some of the artwork you can expect to see on display at this year’s fair.