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Media Release

January 20, 2011

Backgrounder

Trillium Health Centre’s Mozaik of Life

The Mozaik of Life is an exciting, innovative photographic art mural that celebrates the people who make up the Trillium Health Centre family, including our patients, staff, physicians, volunteers and supporters. The Mozaik of Life is the largest digital mosaic of its kind in Canada.

Trillium Health Centre’s Mozaik of Life

Inspired by the Foundation, commissioned by the health centre and sponsored by the Volunteers of Trillium Health Centre, the Mozaik of Life was created by a community-based artistic group, Human MOZAÏK, which specializes in murals that use hundreds of small photos put together to create a final, large-scale mural. Each individual participant is an integral part of the project as every picture taken helps create the final art piece.

The Mozaik of Life is Trillium’s way of engaging and recognizing our community. Everyone who sees it will see themselves reflected in the images of over 200 subjects from which the larger mosaic is created. The final mural will create an inspiring piece of art for the Trillium Way at Trillium-West Toronto.

This innovative work of art was created by “pixelating” over 200 members of the Trillium family. The models were wrapped in coloured fabric before being photographed in Spring 2010. Each individual photo becomes a pixel in the colour palette used to create the Mozaïk of Life mural, a large composition of three faces that represents the diversity of the Trillium community.

Every picture tells a unique Trillium story. The three “faces” of the Mozaik of Life unveiled today represent a supporter, a volunteer, and a health care provider.   

The design and architecture of redeveloped spaces, like the Trillium Way at Trillium-West Toronto and the new inpatient wing at Trillium-Mississauga, are based on comprehensive, evidence-based research and extensive stakeholder input that recommends large windows with natural light, creative lighting features, floor designs and art displays. 

Patients and staff benefit from the warm, welcoming environment created by having bright colours and creative lighting instead of the institutional décor found in traditional health care facilities.

Mozaik of Life Facts
  • 12 x 65 feet (3.6 by 19.8 metres)
  • 79,200 pixels
  • 228 unique unique models used as pixels, plus some archival shots
  • Sponsored by The Volunteers of Trillium Health Centre
Faces featured in Trillium’s Mozaik of Life

Faces featured in Trillium’s Mozaik of LifeThree individual photos were chosen to be featured as the large-scale images, appearing in the Mozaik of Life from left to right: Anil Shah, a long-time Trillium supporter and board member; Ann Mackay, a dedicated community member who has been a volunteer at Trillium for over 56 years; and Dr. Joo-Meng Soh, a talented physician and Trillium’s former Chief of Medicine.

Photo credits - Human MOZAÏK:

Wide angle shots - photos by Jean René, art director
Anil Shah - photo by Nathalie Vaillant; draping by Isabelle Guérin
Ann Mackay - photo by Pamela Johnson; draping by Isabelle Guérin
Dr. Joo-Meng Soh - photo by Mélanie St-Martin draping by Isabelle Guérin

Anil Shah

Anil ShahAnil Shah represents our community – the thousands of men, women and youth who support our organization’s efforts to continually improve Trillium’s facilities and services.  He has been a dedicated supporter of Trillium Health Centre’s community for many years.

He has served as a director on the boards of both Trillium Health Centre and Trillium Health Centre Foundation.

Anil has been involved in many of Trillium’s fundraising initiatives including working on Trillium’s capital campaign and serving as co-chair of the Trillium Diwali fundraising gala for two years.

Anil Shah is a chemical engineer and the president of Ni-Met Metals and Minerals Inc. In addition to running a successful business, Anil is actively involved with the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, and he has also served as the Chair of ICCC’s Golf Committee. In 2005, he was recognized as the association’s Member of the Year. Anil and his wife, Harsha, have a son and daughter and live in Mississauga.

Ann Mackay

Ann MackayAnn Mackay represents the dedication and commitment of Trillium’s 1,100 volunteers. 

Ann began her journey as a Trillium volunteer back before the Queensway General Hospital officially opened in 1956. (The Queensway General Hospital is now known as Trillium Health Centre – West Toronto.) Ann served as the auxiliary president from 1983 to 1985.

Back then Ann worked with other auxiliary members to sew the linens for the operating rooms and made gifts to sell in the gift shop. Today, Ann continues to volunteer at Trillium, supporting the West Toronto volunteer resources office every Tuesday morning. For her commitment and dedication to volunteerism, Ann was recognized with an Honorary Life Membership by the Ontario Hospital Auxiliaries Association.

Ann and her husband, Dr. James Mackay (Queensway General Hospital’s first chief of psychiatry) live in Etobicoke. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Dr. Joo-Meng Soh

Dr. Joo-Meng SohDr. Joo-Meng Soh represents the many health care providers at Trillium who work every day to provide safe, quality care for the over 760,000 patients who come through Trillium’s doors every year.

He joined Trillium Health Centre’s medical staff in December 2003 as a specialist in Internal Medicine. He served as Trillium’s Chief of Medicine from 2007 to 2010.

Dr. Soh lives in Mississauga with his wife and four children.

About Human MOZAÏK

The Mozaik of Life was created by Human MOZAÏK, an Ottawa/Gatineau-based artistic group specializing in photographic murals using hundreds of small photos put together to create a final, large-scale piece of urban art.

Jean René is Art Director, Artist and founder of The Human MOZAÏK.

The main purpose of the Human MOZAÏK is to invite and involve the community at large to take part in an interactive and common artistic urban art piece. Jean René welcomes everybody as they are and invites them to share the love of arts. His approach is to enrich the community through the medium of art in an urban setting by using new technology.  One of his goals is to map humanity artistically as a ‘pixel’ in order to create magnificent collective art.

For Jean René art in public spaces is a crucial aspect of any city’s urban planning and design.  Public art has the power to transform our daily experiences.  It has the ability to turn public spaces into more human and social spaces.  Urban art transcend all barriers by fostering art within and throughout the community.  Jean René works with communities to create images that can reflect and depict various cultures, history or visions of artistic expression while establishing a common ground.

Since it’s also an original medium that beautifies the urban landscape, it certainly enhances the visual experience one can retain from a city, whether being a local resident or a visitor from another part of the country or from abroad.  Jean René enlivens urban spaces by keeping them vibrant, attractive and friendly places.

Human MOZAÏK’s body of work includes:

  • Alberta Children's Hospital (Alberta)
  • Canadian Museum of Civilization (Gatineau)
  • Maison de La Culture (Gatineau)
  • City of Gatineau (Gatineau)
  • City of Ottawa (Ottawa)
  • Canadian War Museum (Ottawa)
  • Novotel (Ottawa)

Human MOZAÏK Team:
Art director: Jean René
Photo: Martine Belanger, Mélanie St-Martin, Pamela Johnson, Nathalie Vaillant, Christian Hamel
Chief wardrobe: Isabelle Guérin.
Designer: Florence Rougeot, Karen-Anne Chaisson, Jessica Leblanc, Lacie Williamson
Chief Logistics: Maurice Gibbs 
Logistics: Genevieve Décarie, Suzie Villeneuve, Anik Richard.
Hairstyle: Valérie Gareau.
Make-up: Natacha Meunier.
Chef Design: Mélanie St-Martin, Tara Wong.

For more information, see www.artmozaik.com.

About Trillium Health Centre

Trillium Health Centre is one of Canada’s largest academically-affiliated hospitals providing quality and safe care to over one million residents in Mississauga, southwest Toronto and the surrounding areas. Trillium is a 774-bed regional referral centre with highly-specialized, complex programs in advanced cardiac, vascular, stroke, neurosciences, orthopaedic, geriatric and sexual assault/domestic violence services. Trillium’s $450 million annual budget supports the 4,200 staff, 748 physicians and 1,100 volunteers who care for the 762,000 patients who visit each year.   

Trillium - Mississauga has an Emergency Department, inpatient units and surgical centre while an Urgent Care Centre, day surgery and other outpatient programs are located at Trillium - West Toronto. Trillium Health Centre Foundation, the health centre’s fundraising arm, inspires the community to invest in the hospital. Trillium is recognized by Accreditation Canada, National Quality Institute and Ontario Health Quality Council for providing safe, high-quality health care and leadership in a healthy workplace. 

For more information, go to www.trilliumhealthcentre.org.

TRILLIUM HEALTH CENTRE – FACTS AND FIGURES

Fiscal Year 2009/2010

  • Patient visits – 762,221
  • Inpatient admissions – 32,488
  • Outpatient visits – 300,595 (excl. Emergency & Urgent Care Centre visits)
  • Outpatient diagnostic services – 330,694
  • Emergency visits – 79,408
  • Urgent Care Centre visits – 51,524
  • Surgical procedures – 36,375
  • Physicians – 714
  • Staff – 4,300
  • Volunteers – 1,100
  • Beds – 774
  • Budget – $450 million

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For further information:
Larry Roberts
Media Relations Consultant
Trillium Health Centre
Office: 905.848.7580 ext. 3832
Mobile: 416-358-7201
E-mail:  lroberts@thc.on.ca
www.trilliumhealthcentre.org