Friday, June 15, 2012

1000 Tastes of Toronto Luminato 2012


1000 Tastes of Toronto- Luminato 2012



One thing leads to another when it comes to food festivals! Happened  especially when the food was created by chefs that are all known around Toronto foodies, and the culinary delights are coming from their  best childhood experiences .Luminato 2012 in The Distillery’s 100 Tastes of Toronto,  had  it all. Susur Lee , the renowed chef and cook book writer ,owner of two of the infamousely expensive Lee Restaurants on King, prepared mini vegetarian spring rolls burgers. Tom Fillippou, Executive Chef at PC Cooking School , prepared pooled pork sandwiches, the chefs at The Street Bakery served an assorted basket of macaroons , Dufflet Pastries served melted marshmallow on chocolate brioches ...The Mill Street Brewery served their Organic Beer in assortments of blonde lager, coffee  or dark malt , all cold and foamy .

Most of the ingredients for the foods were supplied by PC (President Choice Corporation) , one of the biggest sponsors of the Luminato 2012 Festival , and L'Oreal was the  another big sponsor, advertising heavily all over the media their involvement with the event.Seems like the perfect marriage of health and beauty , so why worry ? Hmm, let's think again!

For once ,the malpractice of Foods Corporations crushing small farms  and farmer's families by forcing them to buy genetically modified seeds , are very disturbing news of Canadian agriculture .

And secondly , what about L'Oreal scary anorexic and photo “enhanced “ models, advertising cosmetics tested on animals?

Both  these thoughts had let me less "hungry" for the 1000 Tastes of Toronto than planned , so I decided to have an organic beer from the Mill Street Brewery on my way back to the studio.

Just when I was thinking my happy decision will get me more optimistic about the whole event, I heard , loud on the speakers , an interview taking place live in The Distillery with the organizer of the event , German born Jorn  Weisbrodt( engaged to Canadian musician Rufus Wainwright and living now in Toronto  ).

With the European ,typical ,American hatred , he was bashing the " American Art Corporations" , for "crushing " everything around.

Really , Jorn? Like we need outside corporations to hate, we don't have PC and L'Oreal, our own demons to blame, we need American ones?

 Our Canadian corporations  or the Europeans ones are better ? Just because you ,grew up in hatred indoctrinated Europe doesn't mean that we Canadians are as anti- American as you are !

 Look around you  carefully,  because  50% of the tourists buying foods around you, or visiting Luminato  Festivals in Toronto are , yes, from the USA not form far away "old Europe "!

 You are here to talk about your job as an art director of a Canadian art festival and not bashing the USA !

As Canadians , we  frankly, have much more in common with our southern neighbour -the English speaking, emigrant country , peaceful for 200 years ... - the US, that you so love to bash, than with Old Europe that drove us all Canadians here, to make a new country over the ocean !

I am sipping  from my beer   – which is  one of the few strictly veggie and organic foods around, with minimal carbon print-   and I am looking around at the people who smile absent at the " nationalist disturber" , does anybody have energy for the "eloquent orator" to question or challenge  him?

The sun is strong, the beer is tasty, I guess nobody is up to the task of explaining to him that 80% of our trade is with our neighbor, the USA , and we are obviously happy with it!

                                              "Alice in Wonderland" Acrylic on Canvas 30"x40"
We are  more than economically sound and lucky than if we were to deal with any other neighbors.

So I am leaving the busy crowds , heading to my studio passing an endless array of happy dogs, kids in strolls , grandparents with preschool grandkids without front teeth, ...all hazy from too much food and drinks  .

The next thing I know is that up  there ,in my Studio #211 , my  Boston visitors await ,  they  were coming from the Picasso Show at AGO and eager to speak about art .Young and educated , these  Americans   are the only ones really interested in art , a wonderful couple .And I secretly  and  luckily  hope they didn't hear the shameful ranting outside !