John Greyson and David Wall
Video and sound installation
Roy and Silo, a gay penguin couple at New York's Central Park Zoo, have captured the hearts and minds of the world, even as the blockbuster film March of the Penguins was adopted by some as a model of heterosexual family values. Roy and Silo's adventures have been avidly reported to the public: their long-term monogamous relationship that went unnoticed for years; the banning of a children's book of their story from a Missouri library; and the Fox News report last fall that Silo had left Roy. They seem to have everything: enduring love, notoriety, name recognition and tawdry affairs. Yet they live in a country that refuses them the rights of marriage or divorce. Until now.
Greyson and Wall present a site-specific video operetta at the Harrison Baths. Encountering a series of video and sound installations in the lockers, shower stalls and swimming area of this century-old facility, audiences will hear Roy and Silo's story, concluding in their decision to get a divorce (but stay together). Implicitly, between the lines, another history will be told: about the Harrison Baths and the role this public bathhouse has played for generations of homeless Torontonians.
John Greyson is a filmmaker renowned for his shorts, features and installations. David Wall is a revered musician and active composer. Both artists are based in Toronto.
Image: Roy & Silo's Gay Divorce
Photo credit: Adi Ashburner
Map location 5
Harrison Baths and Swimming Pool, 15 Stephanie Street
