Format Hosts Art Gallery Exhibit in Toronto at Unlovable Gallery

Since 2015, Format Magazine has been dedicated to sharing the work of creative professionals using Format for their online portfolios. Now we’re taking it off your screen and putting it on walls.

Opening on September 27th in Toronto, Format Walls is a gallery exhibition featuring 30+ photographers, designers, artists and illustrators. It features a cheeky poster by Dean Fleischer-Camp (Fraud, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), a candid skateboarding print by Tobin Yelland (New York Times, Huck), a melty close-up by Laurence Philomene, and many more. There’s torn-out zine pages, arresting portraiture, forlorn landscapes and sets of instant film. When you walk in, you’ll be overwhelmed by talent that coats the walls at Unlovable Gallery.

“It’s based on a simple idea,” explains Format Magazine’s executive editor Jessica Bloom and co-curator of Format Walls. “When you love an image, you put it up on your wall. The expired memory of why you created the image, or why you were drawn to the image, becomes replaced with a new living history after you hang it up. We worked with each artist to select an image that’s a memento, something that stands out from the sea of images online, and deserves a place on the gallery wall.”

The theme was inspired by the collages of photos and magazine tear-outs that cover teenage bedroom walls, or the bulletin board in your workspace that’s covered with postcards and instant photos. Even our fridge doors have photobooth strips and snapshots fixed with magnets.

In a similar way, your portfolio website is similar to a gallery wall. It’s an online exhibit where you host your most important images, rather than an endless feed. Format Walls brings portfolios to life with an exhibition map that mimics our customizable templates.

We’re excited to see people interact with the show, to hunt through the dense salon-style hang of artwork and find the images that resonate with them. Visitors can also sift through a pile of free prints and take their favorites home—from our wall to yours.

Format Walls runs from September 27-30, with an opening reception from 6 to 10 p.m on the 27th. The show is taking place at Unlovable Gallery, 1415 Dundas Street West, Toronto. The opening is free to attend, RSVP on Facebook. Drinks will be provided by Beau’s.

Here’s a full list of the artists participating in Format Walls: