MONUMENT TO MULTICULTURALISM

"Symbol of Multiculturalism” - "Monument to Multiculturalism” - located
in front of Union Station at 65 Front Street West, Toronto, Canada
Photo: http://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/03/20/monument-to-multiculturalism/

The monument was unveiled on July 1, 1985, Toronto’s 150th anniversary by
then Toronto mayor Arthur Eggleton.
Photo: http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/whats-the-meaning-of-this-monument-to-multiculturalism/

Commissioned by the Congress
of Iitalian Canadians, the
monument was designed by
Italian sculptor Francesco
Perilli, the founder of an art
movement Nuetral-ism (2009),
atop a base by Nino Rico.

The monument, according to its
name, honours the multicultural
heritage of Toronto.
Photo: http://guerra.exto.org/index/15777245_NEUTRAL-ISM.html
Photo: http://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/03/20/monument-to-multiculturalism/
In 1983 Perilli came to Toronto and gave a talk on the topic of
multiculturalism:
"...multiculturalism is not only positive, but it is a means of
developing interreligious dialogue and peaceful collaboration
among men of different ancestries and convictions. And that
because its own objective is in fact aimed at overcoming all
hatred, both long-standing and nascent. In other words,
multiculturalism is conceived as contrary to every racist
attitude and fanatical fundamentalism; it stands against every
act of terrorism; it is opposed to any evidence, great or small, of
overt struggle between individuals, from violence to conflict to
genocide; it is adverse, in short, to any supremacy of one over
the other that can lead appallingly, as has sometimes and even
recently occurred, to the moral indecency of ethnic purging.“
[2]


Perilli (about the monument):
"I conceived the monument to be cast in bronze, and,
stylistically, in a postmodern vein. It represents a man who, at
the center of the globe, joins two meridians; while the remaining
meridians are held aloft by doves, a peace symbol in themselves.
Moreover, the doves are symbolically meant to represent the
cultural vitality of the people who, with the man, construct a
new world, under the banner of dialogue and mutual respect”.
[2]
Photo: http://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/03/20/monument-to-multiculturalism/


The monument consists of a 3 metre–tall, bronze nude
male attempting (with the help of doves) to pull lines of
longitude above his head and make a globe shape.
It has a symbolic meaning of creation of a new world
that is a home place for the people from different
countries.
Photo: http://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/03/20/monument-to-multiculturalism/

There are also bronze inscriptions at the base of the sculpture that bear
quotes from the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
A part of the inscription reads: "This monument, a tribute to
multiculturalism, was presented to the city of Toronto on the occasion
of its sesquicentennial by the national congress of Italian Canadians on
behalf of the Italian Canadian Community”.
Photo: http://levynewsnetwork.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/monument-to-multiculturalism-union-station-toronto-exploring-toronto-part-iv/
 The
monument was replicated in Buffalo City,
South Africa, Changchun, China, Sarajevo,
Bosnia, and Sydney, Australia.
Photo: http://levynewsnetwork.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/monument-to-multiculturalism-union-station-toronto-exploring-toronto-part-iv/
The presentation is made by
Svetlana Panfyorova,
the librarian of the Department of literature in
foreign languages
Tula regional universal research library
Bibliography
1. Corey, A. Photo of the day: monument to Multiculturalism rises to meet the Royal York [Electronic resource] /
by Alex Corey. – 2012. –
http://www.urbantoronto.ca/news/2012/08/photo-day-monument-multiculturalism-rises-meet-royal-york
2. Merritt, Sh. Monument to Multiculturalism [Electronic resource]/ by Shaun Merritt. - 2009. http://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/03/20/monument-to-multiculturalism/
3. Monument To Multiculturalism Outside Union Station Toronto: Exploring Toronto Part IV // LNN: Levy News
network : [the site]. – 2011. - http://levynewsnetwork.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/monument-tomulticulturalism-union-station-toronto-exploring-toronto-part-iv/
4. Rutka, J. What’s the meaning of this?: monument to Multiculturalism [Electronic resource] / by Jacob Rutka. –
2012. - http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/whats-the-meaning-of-this-monument-to-multiculturalism/