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StiC It To The Man
When we heard about StiCanada, an exhibition done by Toronto street artist Posterchild, we were more than game to roam the alleyways of Kensington Market. The pieces, made by street artists from around the globe, are created solely on Canada Post address stickers. Posterchild, on his website, explains the use of labels as “something of a tradition in Graffiti and Street Art. Postal stickers are quick to apply, easy to get ahold of, and often free.”
The layout of StiCanada and the use of sticker labels makes for a very unique experience. Each address label can either be viewed as a single piece, or as part of a larger collection of street art. There is no unified theme from one sticker to another, but one is created when they are put together en masse.
This is the second such exhibit done by Posterchild. The first, SticKorea, took place in a Seoul subway station and lasted only one day because of the high amount of human traffic in the station. The hidden location for StiCanada was brought about because of the problems in Korea: “This time I choose a location that doesn’t get as much foot traffic as a subway station, but should last a lot longer. To help preserve the stickers, I sprayed them with Lacquer, which should help seal them off from the elements, shield them from mold growth, and discourage amateur art collectors.”
StiCanada can be found in the alley beside 13 St. Andrew Street in Kensington. It’s only visible from St. Andrew if you’re looking for it, but it’s definitely worth it. Visitors are more than encouraged to drop by with their own address stickers (these should be free from Canada Post) and add their art.