A piece of street art that’s gained a number of Toronto residents’ attention over the past few months is, as it turns out, not a piece of street art after all, and is actually connected to a significant redevelopment in the area.
If you’ve found yourself traveling westbound along Queens Quay at any point in the past few months, you may have found yourself greeted by a familiar — though wholly unexpected — face.
Emblazoned proudly across one of the last remaining pillars of what used to be a parking garage beloved for its breathtaking views of the Toronto skyline is none other than Queen Elizabeth II.
And she’s blowing a truly impressive bubblegum bubble.
The image occupies the top quarter of the since-demolished parking garage.
Ostensibly not based on an actual image of the late Queen of England (although, if it was, she’s got some major bubblegum skills), the work inevitably raises its own set of questions.
Who is the artist behind it? How did they get up there? Do they specialize in images of the monarchy engaged in nostalgic activities? I decided to investigate for myself.
The answer, it turns out, is hiding in plain sight, because it has everything to do with the actual site upon which it appears.
Demolition at the parking garage, located at 200 Queens Quay, finally commenced in January of this year after being announced in 2019, to make way for Lifetime Developments and Diamond Corp’s 59-storey Q Tower proposal.
It was shortly thereafter that Queen Elizabeth moved in. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
The rubble where the parking structure once stood.
As fate would have it, the ‘street art’ is actually a piece by acclaimed German artist and photographer Michael Moebius, and it’s just the first part of a collaboration between him and Lifetime Developments for the new tower.
According to a representative from Lifetime Developments, the company works artistic collaborations into each new project “with the purpose of enhancing the city’s vibrancy.” In the case of Q Tower, that enhancement has begun even before the tower is built.
The representative tells blogTO that Moebius was chosen for his playful pop-art style, of which hyper-realistic portrairs of celebrities blowing bubbles is his signature, and their choice to use Queen Elizabeth II as the centrepiece was far from random.
“With Q Tower’s name being borne of British luxury (inspired by multiple angles — the quartermaser in James Bond, the Queen and its address 200 Queens Quay West), Lifetime negotiated a partnership to allow Moebius’ instantly recognizable image of Queen Elizabeth II blowing bubblegum to become its artistic focal point,” she says.
The artwork is eye-catching, to say the least.
While it’s unclear, based on the representative’s information, whether that exact work of art will be preserved or incorporated in the finished building (perhaps a concrete slab mounted on the wall?), she does confirm that the partnership with Moebius will carry on as the tower is built.
Moebius’ work will carry on, and will be thoughtfully integrated throughout Q Tower’s permanent common areas, including a striking homage to James Bond, ensuring that residents and visitors are immersed in creativity at every turn,” she tells blogTO.
The tower is intended to become a mixed-use condo building, adding 954 new homes to the neighbourhood, along with four levels of underground parking and additional amenities like retail and daycare.
