Client: Oxford Properties

Overview

A site specific installation to honour Canada Day 2018 uses the existing wooden louvers high up in the east lobby of Waterpark Place, Toronto, and the double storey void underneath. The Canadian Flag as a symbol is the most important identifier of Canadian values. We are all unified under the flag as a sign of pride and confidence. In this case the flag is 19 m long, 6.5 m wide and 5 meters tall.

Goals

The goal was to celebrate Canada Day with an impressive, beautiful rendition of the Canadian Flag. The flag, made out of 5000 red and white ribbons is a symbol of the diversity and richness of the people of Canada that are united under the flag. The installation is uplifting and an unusual take on a quite common motive.

Process

I proposed the idea to the client, who immediately was intrigued by the concept. Besides that initial idea, it was the logistics, which ribbon material, how to bundle it so the ribbons don't end up in a wooling and can be taken out of the boxes in the sequence they were installed. 4 persons were hired to cut the ribbons, for the install, two teams on scissor lifts mounted the ribbons according to a layout.

Additional Information

The work, besides being a 3-dimensional take on the flag, it is very much an interactive art piece. With every step, from below or coming up and down the escalators, your perspective and the impression changes, the depth perception, the light streaming through the ribbons and the lightness in spite of the size.