In Queen’s Park, Toronto, there is a 15-foot bronze sculpture of King Edward VII on a horse, first erected in colonial India in 1922. Following India’s independence in 1947, it was removed and placed in storage. A prominent Toronto businessman and politician heard of its existence and paid for it to be moved to Toronto, citing his desire for a “great equestrian statue.” Despite protests from the public, the statue was placed in Queen’s Park in 1969. The statue still bears the original colonial plaque stating that the statue of the British King is of “The Emperor of India.” This is a performance where we dumped a life-size replica of the sculpture in the Don and it floated down the river for 4 weeks in October-November 2017.
For the Don River Valley Park, curated by Kari Cwynar.
Press about King Edward VII Equestrian Statue Floating Down the Don River:
- CBC The Sunday Edition “A Colonial Era Statue Hits the Water…” and online “Dumping Statue in the Don River…”
- Canadian Art “Eddie and Me”, “Art in 2017: A View from Toronto”, and “White Supremacists Target Anti-Monument Performance”
- VICE “This Art Comedy Duo Dumped a Controversial Statue in a River”
- Toronto Star “King Edward, down the Don River without a paddle”
- Now Magazine “The 10 Best Art Shows of 2017”
- Featured photo in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and The Globe and Mail
