A crossroad is a point at which a crucial decision must be made. Three contemporary artists, Jayda Marley, Jordan Sook and Andre Wagner, examine the conditions that shape Black lives.

Here Again, At the Crossroads is a public art exhibit that explores the historic transit hub of Union Station as a site of constant movement and change. Every day, thousands of people transverse the hallways of Canada’s largest train station, marking a stop on their journey to familiar places or new beginnings. In this fluid space of the in-between, as a site of neither beginnings nor endings, three contemporary artists – Jayda Marley, Jordan Sook and Andre Wagner – have been brought together to create work that invites audiences to consider their positions and actions in this current political moment.

As we stand against the backdrop of world-wide protests and a global outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, we are also all too aware of the divisive voices that continue to express hate, discrimination and incite violence against Black people.
Each artist explores what it means to be arriving at yet another point in our collective histories, where everyone is being called on to defend Black lives. The current social climate has challenged our society—bringing us to a critical point in addressing how, and why, anti-Black racism continues to manifest in North America and beyond.

Jayda Marley’s revolutionary poetry explores notions of displacement and freedom and what it means to build cities that one feels they do not truly belong too. Through powerful black and white photography Andre Wagner reveals the nuances and vulnerabilities of being Black in America, while Jordan Sook’s monumental sculpture pays homage to the lives of Black railway porters, many of whom once walked these very halls. Together, their artwork intentionally asks more questions than it answers, and our hope is, they serve as a catalyst for self-reflection.

Explore the exhibit digitally: https://torontounion.ca/hereagaincrossroads/

Curated by: Alica Hall, Executive Director, Nia Centre for the Arts