“The Harbourfront public address system contains eight speakers installed at points throughout the complex including the art gallery. The system is operated from a microphone located at the receptionist desk in the administration area. Its purpose is to carry messages to the tenants, employees and patrons of the complex. As there is no way to isolate any specific speaker, all messages are broadcast simultaneously throughout the site.

Without interfering with the system’s normal usage, I have arranged with the operator to read spot announcements every half hour (on the hour and half hour) for the duration of the exhibition. Each announcement consists of the complete text of each advertisement found in recent issues of the three Toronto art journals- Artscanada, Artmagazine and Centerfold.

The work is accompanied with this catalog, Public Address, which lists the text and time slot of each spot announcement. There are 169 half hour time slots within the time frame of the exhibition hence 169 spot announcements. Extra long advertisements are divided to be read over two or more time slots. In addition, the catalog contains advertisements from Nova Scotia.”- artist’s statement