Missing memories, missing spaces: The Missing Plaques Project and Toronto's public past

This paper explores the paradox of creativity in the 21st century city. More specifically, I examine the relationship between officially sanctioned and alternative forms of mnemonic narratives. While public memory is always a work of creativity, its most publically visible form is often discursively situated as natural. My research in another context has led me to consider landscapes of alternative memories. This paper marks an attempt to situate Toronto's the Missing Plaque Project into the conceptual literature on landscapes of popular memory and creativity in the city. The Missing Plaque Project uses posters to excavate little known and unpleasant, but politically significant stories of Toronto's past. Material form and content are crucial in exploring the ability of these projects percolate into 'official' acceptability. Furthermore, access to public space becomes a crucial consideration in accessing public memory. The liminality that public space offers is disappearing as Toronto's public spaces are becoming increasingly hostile to the kinds of creative use upon which the Missing Plaques Project depends.

Research highlights► Creativity in the 21st century city is paradoxical. ► Public memory work requires access to public space. ► Street art is one vehicle through which alternative memories work. ► “Official” creativity stifles alternative memory work in street art form.