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Christie Pearson is an artist, architect, writer, and urban interventionist based in Toronto.


christie@christiepearson.ca

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Christie in profile

Artist and architect researching communal bathing cultures. Author of The Architecture of Bathing: Body, Landscape, Art investigating global forms of the public bath and the imaginary of the aquatic commons. Creator of bathing environments as artworks addressing infrastructural, social and sensual space at multiple scales.

 

Multi-disciplinary events include Geospheric Sweatbath at Public Sweat saunas by artists; performances, installations and beach swim-in at Sunnyside: Fire on the Water; the WADE festival of performance and installation art in Toronto’s wading pools; immersive theatre Slip at the Harrison Baths swimming pool; Oculus Rain for the Humber River’s riverMOUTH; and Night Swim at Trinity Bellwoods community centre for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche.

 

Twenty years experience designing residential, cultural, community and institutional projects with a focus on adaptive reuse, ecology and community process. Licensed practicing member of the Ontario Association of Architects. Founding member and editor of the critical journal Scapegoat: Architecture / Landscape / Political Economy.

Christie in profile

Selected Work

Events

Geospheric Sweatbath
Harbourfront Centre
2023

Oculus Rain
Oculus Pavilion, Humber River
2022

Fire on the Water
Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion
2012

First Nations Black Ash Baskets
Grey Roots Museum
2012

Waters of Forgetfulness
Human River Walk
2012

Whirl
University of Toronto
2007

WADE festival
w/S Rechico and YYZ Artists Outlet
2002-07

Night Swim Toronto
Nuit Blanche
2006

Slip
w/Urbanvessel, Harrison Baths Pool
2006

Four Lines
Urbanvessel Continuum soundAxis Festival
2006

108
CD & audio-visual installation w/ Sarah Peebles
2003

Feather, Ice, Dry, Mud Baths
Tokyo/Toronto
2000-02

Fabricator T-shirt Exchange
Power Plant Gallery
1998

Mattress City
Nathan Philips Square
1997

Inflatable Tube Shelter
Nathan Philips Square
1996

Architecture

Residential Renovations & Additions
Project Architect
2016-present

University of Toronto Art Centre (1,000SF)
Project Architect
2018

401 Richmond Media Arts Commons (6,800SF)
Project Architect
2017

Bathurst Live/Work (2,600SF)
Project Architect
2016

Eva’s Phoenix Shelter (41,000SF)
Project Architect
2016

Kitchener Public Library (110,000SF)
Co-Project Architect
2014

Scadding Court CC Redevelopment
Study Lead
2011

Centre for Native Child and Family Wellbeing (35,000SF)
Co-Project Architect
2009

Pari Nadimi Gallery (4,300SF)
Project Architect
2005

Trinity Bellwoods CRC (30,000SF)
Lead
1999

 Publications

On Serena Lee’s Wave Hands, Like Clouds, Not Eyes
Dew from Petals: The Condensation of Space
2022

Sanatorium Gallery, Istanbul
Skin: Christiane Peschek’s Oasis Spa
2022

Outdoor Swimming Society
Architecture of Swimming
2021

Kontakt magazine
The Art of the Dip
2020

UBC School of Architecture ROOM
The Baths Issue #1 Bathroom
2019

Scapegoat Journal
10 NIGHT Issue Co-editor
2017

Scapegoat Journal
Interview with Philippe Rahm
2017

Scapegoat Journal
09 EROS Issue Co-editor
2016

Scapegoat Journal
Space-Espace-Escape
2016

C Magazine
WET Issue Interview with Leonard Koren
2014

Scapegoat Journal
ExRotaprint
2013

Urban Ecologies
Urban Interventions, OCADU Press
2013

Scapegoat Journal
Review: OMA’s Milstein Hall
2012

Scapegoat Journal
Interview with Jutta Mason
2011

Ground
Spring Cultures of Play
2010

Alphabet City WATER
Public Bath and City, MIT Press
2009

Ascent
Interview: Marion Woodman
2009

Descant
10th Street Baths
2008

Ascent
Winter Ashram Lit with Marcus Boon
2008

Senses and Society
Bath Spa review
2006

WADE
Exhibition Catalogue w/ S Rechico YYZ Books
2007

On Site
Spring Dry Bath Ice Bath Mud Bath Feather Bath
2006

Spacing
Toronto’s Wading Pools w/ S Rechico
2004

Alphabet City OPEN CITY
October Group MIT Press
1998

Speaking

Public Bathing as Tactical Urbanism
Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, 2022

On Bathing Practices
Or Gallery Vancouver, 2022

Art & Culture of Public Bathing: A Landscape Perspective
Ontario Association of Landscape Architects 2021

New Architectures of Wellbeing
London Festival of Architecture, UK, 2021

Bathing in Lithium: Architecture of the Mineral Spa
Het Nieuwe Institute Rotterdam, 2021

Public Bathing in Culture-Nature
Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, 2021

The Architecture of Bathing 
University of Montreal School of Architecture, 2021

The Architecture of Bathing 
LGA Architectural Partners, 2021

The Architecture of Bathing 
MJMA Architects, 2021

Bathing Place as Public Space Roundtable series
University of Waterloo, 2020

Architecture of the Baths
Pecha Kucha at the Beaver, University of British Columbia, 2019

Thewaves: Immersive Vibratory Environments
KUNCI Cultural Studies Centre, Yogyakarta, 2018

Ruth Kaplan’s Bathers
The Assembly: Red Flagg Gallery, 2017

Architectures of the Night
Bridge Gallery, Cambridge, 2017

Architecture as Art
Aga Khan Museum, Toronto Society of Architects Doors Open, 2016

Immersive Vibratory Environments
Tuning Speculation III The Occulture, 2015

Immersion and Art
Tasmanian College of the Arts, Australia, 2015

Energy and the Arts: Immersion, Bathing, Art
Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, 2015

Night Gardens and Pleasure Palaces
The Urban Night Colloquium, McGill University, 2014

Sauna Symposium Open
C Magazine, Hart House Farm, 2014

Playing With Landscape panelist
Gallery 1313, Art Builds Gladstone Hotel Grow Op, 2014

Public Baths, Public Spaces
University of Waterloo School of Architecture, 2013

On Collaboration
Canadian Music Centre, 2013

Practice
OCAD University, Urban Ecologies, 2013

Geneology
A Month of Sundays Series, 2010

Love and Politics panel
University of Toronto,  2010

Water and Bathing
Alphabet City Water Festival, 2009

Art in the Parks
Toronto Arts Council Foundation, 2008

Creative Activism
Toronto Free Gallery, 2008

 Publications

 

Room
Issue #1 Bathroom UBC School of Architecture
2018

 

Scapegoat Journal
10 NIGHT Issue Co-editor
2017

 

Scapegoat Journal
Interview with Philippe Rahm
2017

 

Scapegoat Journal
09 EROS Issue Co-editor
2016

 

Scapegoat Journal
Space-Espace-Escape
2016

 

C Magazine
WET Issue Interview with Leonard Koren
2014

 

Scapegoat Journal
ExRotaprint
2013

 

Urban Ecologies
Urban Interventions, OCADU Press
2013

 

Scapegoat Journal
Review: OMA’s Milstein Hall
2012

 

Scapegoat Journal
Interview with Jutta Mason
2011

 

Ground
Spring Cultures of Play
2010

 

Alphabet City WATER
Public Bath and City, MIT Press
2009

 

Ascent
Interview: Marion Woodman
2009

 

Descant
10th Street Baths
2008

 

Ascent
Winter Ashram Lit with Marcus Boon
2008

 

Senses and Society
Bath Spa review
2006

 

WADE
Exhibition Catalogue w/ S Rechico YYZ Books
2007

 

On Site
Spring Dry Bath Ice Bath Mud Bath Feather Bath
2006

 

Spacing
Toronto’s Wading Pools w/ S Rechico
2004

 

Alphabet City OPEN CITY
October Group MIT Press
1998

Speaking

 

KUNCI Cultural Studies Centre Yogyakarta
2018

 

The Assembly: Red Flagg Gallery Kaplan’s Bathers
2017

 

Bridge Cambridge Architectures of the Night
2017

 

Aga Khan Museum/TSA at Doors Open Toronto
2016

 

Tuning Speculation III: The Occulture IVB
2015

 

Tasmanian College of the Arts Immersion and Art
2015

 

Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art
2015

 

The Urban Night Colloquium, McGill University
2014

 

C Magazine Sauna Symposium Hart House Farm
2014

 

Gallery 1313 Art Builds 2013 Gladstone Grow Op Playing With Landscape
2014

 

University of Waterloo Public Baths, Public Spaces
2013

 

Canadian Music Centre On Collaboration
2013

 

OCADU Urban Ecologies Conference
2013

 

A Month of Sundays Geneology
2010

 

University of Toronto Love and Politics
2010

 

Alphabet City Water Festival Water and Bathing
2009

 

Toronto Arts Council Foundation Art in the Parks
2008

 

Toronto Free Gallery Creative Activism
2008

Based in Toronto.
christie@christiepearson.ca
Full CV