Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport welcomes “Project T-Dot” photography exhibit

TORONTO, ONTARIO – As part of its commitment to reflecting the vibrancy and diversity of Toronto through unique art activations, Nieuport Aviation, in partnership with celebrated Toronto-based photographer Ajani Charles, has unveiled the “Project T-Dot” exhibit in the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the largest art installation ever at the airport. Project T-Dot depicts candid images of Toronto's most renowned Hip-Hop figures, as well as many others who are lesser-known but nonetheless influential in Toronto’s Hip-Hop scene, allowing travellers the opportunity to engage with the cultural richness of the city as they pass through Billy Bishop Airport.

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Project T-Dot, which initially premiered at Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square in 2022, presents a definitive visual story that sheds new light on the city's Hip-Hop scene and features instantly recognizable subjects such as Drake, The Weeknd, Director X, Kardinal Offishall, Jessie Reyez, Jully Black, Master T, Maestro Fresh Wes, and organizations like The Remix Project, Honey Jam, Manifesto Community Projects, October's Very Own, and MuchMusic, among many others. Reflecting the diversity of the Hip-Hop subculture, the exhibit features members of the 2SLGBTQ+, Black, and Indigenous communities, women, youth from equity-deserving neighbourhoods, recent immigrants, and other marginalized groups. Passengers travelling through Billy Bishop Airport will be greeted with 60 large-scale photographic panels in the terminal’s atrium alongside an interactive touchscreen where they can learn more about Toronto's Hip-Hop culture, community, and history by exploring engaging supplementary information.

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“As the owner and operator of the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Airport, Nieuport Aviation is committed to not only playing a vital role in connecting travellers to the places they want to be, but also to connecting our neighbours and travellers Toronto’s vibrant culture,” says Neil Pakey, President and CEO, Nieuport Aviation. “We’re pleased to be partnering with a talent like Ajani Charles to present this one-of-a-kind exhibit to our valued passengers, employees and community members.”

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“We are honoured to be joining our partners Nieuport Aviation in unveiling Project T-Dot at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. This large-scale installation reflects Toronto’s vibrant Hip-Hop culture and the contributions of some of this city’s most renowned figures on the scene,” says RJ Steenstra, President and CEO, PortsToronto. “Thank you to Nieuport Aviation and the City of Toronto for bringing this interactive, engaging artwork to the terminal where it will be accessible to both passengers and the public, helping to bring people together, generate conversation and make the important connections that we strive to make at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport even deeper.”

"I have dedicated 18 years of my life and a significant part of my consciousness to documenting the inspiring, talented, resourceful, and diverse individuals and organizations that define Toronto's unique Hip-Hop culture, community, and history,” says photographer Ajani Charles. “I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce the general public and millions of travellers to one of Toronto's most influential subcultures through my latest exhibit at Billy Bishop Airport. I’d like to thank Nieuport Aviation, PortsToronto, Sony Music Entertainment Canada, and other dedicated partners like the City of Toronto, Canon Canada, and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.”

Project T-Dot will be on display at Billy Bishop Airport for the duration of 2024. In keeping with the interactive nature of the exhibit, travellers are encouraged to share their own thoughts and experiences of the art on social media using the hashtag #projecttdot.

For high resolution photos of the exhibit, please click here. For promotional images associated with the unveiling, please click here.

About Nieuport Aviation

Nieuport Aviation is the owner and operator of the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Backed by Canadian and international pension funds and supported by significant international expertise in managing aviation operations, we are committed to world-class customer service for the millions of customers using the airport. In addition to managing the passenger terminal, Nieuport Aviation offers passengers a free bus shuttle service between the airport and downtown Toronto, helping to provide a seamless travel experience. For more information, please visit www.nieuport.com. Since acquiring the airport terminal, Nieuport has invested $60 million in upgrades, recently opening the Aspire Business Lounge for Canadian travellers. Nieuport is further investing in the development of the US Customs pre-clearance facility, to be opened in 2025.

About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)

Offering service to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S., with connection opportunities to more than 80 international destinations via our airlines’ networks, Billy Bishop Airport is an important international gateway and a key driver to Toronto’s economy, generating more than $2.1 billion in total economic output and supporting 4,740 jobs, including 2,080 directly associated with the airport operations and facilitating healthcare for Ontarians by providing a base for medevac services connected to local hospitals. Billy Bishop Airport is renowned for its unique travel experience, efficiency and customer service and has won a series of passenger-driven awards. With a focus on cleaner, greener and quieter operations, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has made significant upgrades in recent years to achieve its sustainability goals, which are reported on an annual basis. Billy Bishop Airport is owned and operated by PortsToronto. To learn more, click here.

About PortsToronto

For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed approximately 2.8 million passengers in 2019; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Marine Terminal 52, which provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $14 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government. To learn more, click here.

About Ajani Charles

Ajani Charles is a Toronto-based professional photographer, director, producer, mental health advocate, and Canon Canada ambassador of Haitian descent. Charles has a background in fine arts and specializes in creating impactful stories about the human condition, self-actualization, and mental health for tech, finance, and media organizations. To learn more, visit https://www.ajani.ca/.

Contact

Ryan White, Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs

ryan.white@nieuport.com