Freedom Tunnel, an installation by Hello Wood, commemorates Canada's response to a massive historical refugee crisis.
In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution led to a tremendous amount of Hungarian refugees. Canada alone accepted over 37,000 Hungarians fleeing their home country, and the Hungarian embassy has not forgotten that act of kindness. In commemoration, the embassy in Toronto commissioned Freedom Tunnel and enlisted Hello Wood, a Budapest-based architecture program, to create it.
The installation is a tunnel that begins as a circular hole on one end and emerges as a maple leaf on the other. The maple leaf is the symbol on Canada's flag, and so the metaphorical installation represents the Hungarians' emergence into the northern country. As further metaphor, the installation is made from exactly 37,565 pieces, the precise number of Hungarians Canada accepted.
Commemorative Canadian Tunnels
Hello Wood's Freedom Tunnel is a Memorial Shaped Like a Maple Leaf
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3. Refugee Crisis Response - Innovative initiatives and projects related to addressing refugee crises and commemorating supportive actions.
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