By David Topping

For the next four months, twenty of Toronto’s garbage bins throughout the Financial District will be given a reprieve from displaying ads to instead serve as big, beautiful, magenta frames for some rather lovely photography.
The redesigned bins––which sport photos on the front and back and an artist bio on the sides––are part of the Magenta Foundation’s Flash Forward exhibit, in conjunction with the bins’ owner, EcoMedia Direct Inc. (Incidentally, EcoMedia also has 3,580 other bins in Toronto and Markham.) Flash Forward features the work of emerging Canadian, American, and British photographers, and––if you prefer to see your art in galleries––will be hosted at Lennox Contemporary Gallery (12 Ossington Avenue) from October 4–21.
While the city’s “If only…” pedestrian safety ads that have dominated the bins in the past are pretty fantastic, it’s nice to see some advertising space surrendered for art, even if it’s only twenty boxes. More like this please, Toronto.
More photos of some the bins after the fold (all courtesy EcoMedia Direct Inc./Magenta Foundation).