Talk about subtle. A 15-storey-tall woman’s face has been adorning a banner on the west side of the downtown Toronto Delta Chelsea Hotel since August 13. A boxy black bar across her eyes suggests the image is part of a teaser campaign for a big-bucks brand that will add a tagline later on. That guess is both true and untrue.

Yes, biggie denim fashion marketer Diesel is behind the installation. But no words or logo are to be added to identify the brand. The 47′ x 150′ banner is actually part of Diesel’s fourth annual international Wall Competition. It’s a challenge extended to artists all over the world to come up with striking, socially conscious work. More than 1,000 entries were judged this year and the winners received the honour of having their art prominently displayed in high-traffic spots in Milan, Beijing, Copenhagen and, yes, Toronto.

Entitled ‘Look Me In The Eye,’ the image was created by Greek Cypriot Artemis Psatha. The thick black bar he placed across the woman’s eyes is meant to signify that ‘humans are not free and are often incapable of realizing their real state.’ The banner will remain in place until mid-September, thanks to the hotel’s donation of the venue.

For more information on the 2007 Diesel Wall competition, visit www.dieselwall.com.