Graffiti Alley Toronto

Graffiti Alley now has world's longest Instagram photo

Toronto's Graffiti Alley is one of the most Instagrammed spots in the city - it really does make a great background for broody, pseudo-gritty fashion shoots. But now this downtown laneway is a star in its own right thanks to a new project by Heritage Toronto and Havas Worldwide Canada, an advertising firm.

Called Instatour, this Instagram-based projects stitches together 1,300 separate posts to create the longest continuous Instagram photo in the world. The result is quite stunning, but make sure you check out graffitialley.to on mobile. Simply turn your phone sideways and scroll away.

Local photographer Justin Poulsen documented Graffiti Alley for three weeks earlier this year. His work gives viewers a glimpse at this iconic Toronto spot at a specific moment in time.

"Heritage Toronto is thrilled to be involved in this innovative project commemorating a key site in our city's intangible cultural heritage," says Heritage Toronto executive director Francisco Alvarez in a news release.

"It's a reminder that even our recent past can be fleeting, and how important it is to celebrate moments of creation like Graffiti Alley that create a distinctive sense of place and pride in Toronto."

Since Graffiti Alley is always changing, it probably won't look exactly like the Instatour for long. And if you want to visit it in real life, you can always head down to Queen West. Or hop on one of Heritage Toronto's tours this fall.


Graffiti Alley Instatour from Havas Worldwide Canada on Vimeo.


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