Nieuport Aviation presents Ajani Charles’ second solo Project T-Dot art exhibit at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The exhibit showcases his 18-year-old documentary project on Toronto’s hip-hop culture, community, and history, which he began producing in December 2006.
Proudly sponsored by Sony Music Entertainment Canada and part of the CONTACT Photography Festival’s 2024 programming, it is located past the airport’s underground tunnel, specifically in its terminal’s atrium.
Fully accessible and bilingual (with French and English text), it is the largest art exhibit ever to be installed at the airport, available to the general public, including millions of travellers, for free, without purchasing an airline ticket or paying an entrance fee, for the next year until early 2025.
It is open daily between 5:00 AM EST and 11:59 PM EST.
The exhibit follows the success of Ajani’s first solo Project T-Dot art exhibit at Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square in 2022. This was and still is the largest art exhibit to be installed on the exterior of Toronto City Hall and the largest art exhibit on hip-hop culture in Canadian history.
His current exhibit features 60 large-scale black and white vinyl prints (with images shot exclusively with Canon cameras and lenses) on three interior walls, a printed information panel and banner, and a 55-inch touchscreen that will be updated throughout the exhibit’s duration, featuring supplementary information, educating the general public on the incredible people that define Toronto’s diverse hip-hop scene in detail.
Globally, the exhibit’s 55-inch touchscreen features the first comprehensive database featuring a major city’s hip-hop community and will only be available at the airport (for now).
The exhibit’s prints and touchscreen feature over 80 Toronto’s hip-hop community members and many related organizations.
The exhibit includes notable figures, including but not limited to Baby Yu, Boi-1da, Chris Bosh, Click, Director X, Drake, Future The Prince, Haviah Mighty, Jessie Reyez, Jonathan Ramos, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Killy, Lissa Monet, Maestro Fresh Wes, Marlon Palmer, Mastermind, Master T, Monika Deole, Moses Znaimer, Ron Nelson, SAFE, Shawn Desman, SKAM, Skratch Bastid, Smoke Dawg, Starting From Scratch, TOBi, The Weeknd, and Tyrone Edwards, and influential organizations, including but not limited to 100 Miles Brand, Advance Music Canada, Bag of Trix, Battle of The Beatmakers, Flow 93.5, Do Dat Entertainment, Ground Illusionz, Honey Jam, Hong Shing Restaurant, Justice Fund, Manifesto Community Projects, MuchMusic, Play De Record, October's Very Own, Operation Prefrontal Cortex, Roots Rhymes Collective, The Circle, The Forgiveness Project, The Remix Project, The Toronto Raptors, and Too Black Guys.
Thank you to all visitors in advance. In keeping with the exhibition's interactive nature, visitors are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences of the art and Project T-Dot on social media using the hashtag #projecttdot and by tagging Ajani Charles (@ajaniphoto). In the meantime, the exhibit’s press release can be viewed here.