Arcadia Earth, a massive environmental exhibit, makes Toronto its first permanent home

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Design

Environmental art, emotional impact

After successful runs in New York, Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia, Arcadia Earth will make Toronto its first permanent home, located within The Well at 486 Front St W, Toronto.Supplied

A new large-scale, immersive art exhibit is opening in Toronto that promises to reignite the conversation around the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Called Arcadia Earth Toronto, it combines creative art installations and the latest augmented and virtual reality technologies to showcase the beauty of our planet and the impact of human actions on the environment. Previously mounted in New York, Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia, Arcadia Earth will debut on Dec. 1 in Toronto’s newest mixed-use complex, the Well. Mounted in a 17,000-square-foot space, the exhibit takes visitors on a 10-room adventure that teaches them about the challenges facing our planet and suggests ways to incorporate more sustainable practices into our daily lives. (Did you know, for example, that we each ingest the equivalent of one credit card a week in microplastics?) Founded by experiential artist Valentino Vettori, Arcadia Earth was brought to Toronto by Craig Perlmutter who hopes the exhibit (its first permanent location) will “captivate a new audience and inspire them” to find pathways to a greener, more sustainable future. Tickets, ranging from $24 to $39, can be purchased at www.arcadiaearth.ca, with $2 from every ticket going to WWF-Canada. - Gayle MacDonald

Travel

Eat like a (true) local

Grandmas and part-time home cooks share their family secrets with head chefs to create a culinary series of events at Octant Hotels in Portugal.Supplied

A home-cooked meal while travelling is a delicacy. If you haven’t got relatives in Portugal to lean on, consider “Como em Casa” from Octant Hotels. The Portuguese boutique hotel brand sent its chefs into nearby markets and villages and asked: “Who is the best cook in town?” Grandmas and part-time home cooks shared some of their family secrets and will head into the hotel kitchens to help prepare a series of culinary events. Guests who book a weekend package learn about the village’s history and culture on a tour that stops at cafés and private homes. Then it’s back to the hotel to eat and talk to the cooks, dining on dishes such as pezinhos de porco (pig’s feet), fried codfish, purslane soup with goat cheese and lamb stews. And for dessert? Perhaps a fig tart. You know Avo is watching, so make sure to clean your plate. The next Como em Casa weekend is Dec. 8-10 at Octant Praia Verde in the Algarve. - Catherine Dawson March

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