Through the illogical use of basketball motifs, Toronto artist Esmaa Mohamoud transforms The Bentway into a surreal basketball court. Double Dribble is comprised of basketball nets of varying diameters — from half the size, to 3X the size of a standard net — and court lines running dysfunctionally throughout The Bentway site. Nets are installed at heights impossible for a human to reach, as well as low enough for a toddler.
With basketball as an access point, Double Dribble is a surreal inquiry into the accessibility of play. Do social identifiers affect our role in play — race, gender, wealth, ability… and how? Are certain demographics encouraged/discouraged to play — whether through abundance/lack of resources, or social grooming/socialization? Further, is “public space” actually public if it is not designed to be welcoming to all — i.e. through visible, physical barriers like space being broken down, or not inclusive of mobility needs, or invisible barriers like what happens to marginalized and racialized communities through gentrification?
Double Dribble pushes the public to reinvent play and even dismantle the rules to play. Without rules, there is a democratization of play with entry points for all communities. Double Dribble is familiar, but invites a reimagining of what’s possible. It points to the creativity and resilience born of what happens when the rules of the game don’t validate our experience — when, instead, we make our own rules.
Commissioned by The Bentway Conservancy.
Where
The Bentway
When
July 7th, 2021 to September 26th, 2021
Explore Double Dribble
Click and drag to look around the space, click on the circular arrows throughout the space to move around, and use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out.
About the Artist
Esmaa Mohamoud (Canadian, b. 1992), is a Toronto based African Canadian artist. She holds a BFA from Western University (2014) and an MFA from OCAD University (2016). Mohamoud has exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts Montreal. Recent exhibitions include: To the Hoop: Basketball and Contemporary Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, UNCG, Greensboro, NC, USA and Human Capital, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK, Canada. Upcoming projects and exhibitions include: Artworx TO Year of Public Art, Toronto; and, Garmenting: Costume and Contemporary Art, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY, USA. Currently on view: Esmaa Mohamoud: To Play In The Face of Certain Defeat, Art Gallery of Hamilton – travelling through 2023, organized by Museum London (publication forthcoming); Esmaa Mohamoud, The Brotherhood FUBU (For Us By Us), mural for Scotiabank Contact Festival, 11 Bay Street, Toronto; and, Double Dribble, The Bentway, Signature Public Art Commission, Toronto, Canada. Mohamoud will be participating in 2021’s Black Rock Senegal Artists-in-Residence program, taking place in Dakar, Senegal.
Follow Esmaa on Instagram
Plan Your Play Walk
Locations
Installations
- Dream Street by The Street Society
- Walk Walk Dance by Daily tous les jours
- Big Red by Assemble
- Double Dribble by Esmaa Mohamoud
- Nil:Nil by Studio F Minus
- Play Public by Thomas Mailaender & Erik Kessels
- Jax by Pierre Poussin
- Midsummer Mix Vol.1 by Nelson Wu & biosphere
Tiny Games
- Find Jimmy! by Kris Piotrowski
- Before They’re Gone by Droqen
- A Serpent Slumbers by Allison Cole
- Dance Anatomy by Alicia Payne
- The Garrison and the Gardiner by Kaelan Doyle Myerscough
- Secret Landscape by Diana Andrea Guzmán Valencia
Bike Shares
Twelve locations throughout the Play Path and neighbouring spaces
Landmarks
- The Bentway
- Fort York National Historic Site
- Garrison Crossing
- The Bentway Studio & Canoe Landing Community Recreation Centre
- Canoe Landing Park
- Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre
Land Acknowledgement
As an organization dedicated to the creation of shared and inclusive public space, we acknowledge that our work takes place on the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit and the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, the Métis, and many other Indigenous nations.
Tkaronto, “the place in the water where the trees are standing”, is now home to many diverse Indigenous people. We recognize them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land. We would like to pay our respects to all who have gathered and will continue to gather in this place. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work together to care for The Bentway lands and act as stewards of the space.
Transportation
By TTC
- 511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd)
- 509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St.)
- 121 Fort York-Esplanade at Gzowski Blvd (westbound) or Bastion St (eastbound)
By Bike
Use Bike Share Toronto’s System Map or download PBSC Urban Solutions or Transit app to locate stations and plan your route with real-time bike and station availability. Closest stations to The Bentway: Fort York Blvd/Garrison Rd, Fort York Blvd. (in front of Fort York Visitor Centre), Strachan Ave/Princes’ Blvd, Fort York Blvd/Bathurst St.
Bike racks are also located on-site.
Parking
Paid parking is available at 800 Fleet Street (also accessible from Strachan Avenue, north of Fleet Street) and at the Fort York Visitor Centre (250 Fort York Boulevard).
Washrooms
As of June 11, 2021 our washroom facilities are open from 10am – 7:30pm daily. Face coverings are required. Gender-neutral washroom(s) available.
Free WiFi
Free Wi-Fi is provided by Beanfield. Sign onto Beanfield1hfree and get one free hour of WiFi at The Bentway.