A giant technicolour sculpture inspired by a Greek god is coming to the Port Lands

The Port Lands just keeps getting more exciting. First, there was the debut of those curvy bridges, as if designed for car commercials. Then came Biidaasige Park, the city’s largest new green space in generations. And 2026 will see the launch of the Lassonde Art Trail, a 4.2-kilometre buffet of open-air contemporary installations. Last week, the team behind the trail announced that its newest entry will be a permanent work from Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos.

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The piece, Artemisa, is a response to the area’s new island, Ookwemin Minising, and has been described as a “magical tree-like structure” covered in colourful hand-painted ceramic tiles. Its namesake, Artemis, is the Greek goddess of wild animals and vegetation. In a press release, Vasconcelos said of her new east-end wonder, “It’s a seed sprouting from the soil of the restored wetland, a symbol of rebirth and flourishing of the natural world.”

Several other permanent sculptures have already been commissioned, including a piece from Kent Monkman.

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Toronto could use more public art. A TMU report from 2022 suggested that people are 50 per cent more likely to spend time in spaces with “creative placemaking,” which can include installations and cultural programming. It’s good for nearby property values too: a 2016 study from the University of Warwick found that areas with more art have greater relative gains in housing prices. 

The Port Lands, a former industrial wasteland, will soon be the site of 14,000 new homes, 20 per cent of them designated affordable. Waterfront Toronto has estimated that the renewal project, when complete, will create 100,000 skilled trades jobs and add $13.2 billion to the economy.