Title of Artwork: Ascend
Artist: Team of Haddad|Drugan
Site: Near Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge
The Concept
Ascend – Artists’ concept rendering. Photo credit: Haddad|Drugan. Used by permission.
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The artists were asked to create an artwork that would:
- Be responsive to the natural environment, and
- Create memorial, iconic experiences that reflect the identity of the community, landscape, and facility.
The site chosen for Ascend is the large natural park east of the recreational facility, at the top of the knoll. The parkland is covered with grasses and other plants, with several gravel walking paths meandering through the area. The knoll is one of the highest points in elevation in Calgary.
The artwork consists of two monumental sculptures, each about 14 metres (45 feet) high, 6 metres (20 feet) wide and 10.5 metres (34 feet) long. The two sculptures are mirror images of each other. They will flank the walking path, marking the knoll high point at an area that also has boulders and a log for seating.
The artwork is composed of an open matrix of welded, stainless steel tubes set on larger stainless steel columns. The open matrix creates visual structure that is both strong and light. The bead-blasted finish will reflect and absorb light in different ways, depending on the angle of the sun. The structure will cast interesting shadow plays onto the ground. At the end of some of the tubes will be acrylic prisms which will break the sunlight into spectrums of iridescent colour; seen from a distance, the prisms will appear as icicle-like sparkles.
As people move around or between the sculptures, the two forms will appear to combine into a whole and then separate, depending on the viewing angle. Each sculpture on its own may evoke the shape of a cornucopia - the horn of plenty - to some viewers. Viewed from another angle, the sculptures merge into a shape reminiscent of bison horns, or mythical creatures. This form was inspired by the changing shapes of flocks of birds ascending and descending; horns; the movement of herds; the curves of Chinook clouds; and animal nests and dens.
The Artists
Ascend – Artists’ concept rendering. Photo credit: Haddad|Drugan. Used by permission.
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Haddad|Drugan is artist team Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan, who specialize in conceptually-driven, site-specific art. The artists’ projects combine an aesthetic concept with a site’s unique dynamics with inspiration from a curiosity of nature, science, sustainability, community and history.
Their artworks are often designed to respond to natural phenomena such as sun, sound, light, wind and water. These artworks engage people in a variety of experiences at different scales, vantage points and conditions which create an experience that is deeply felt and memorable.
With over twenty public art commissions throughout North America, Haddad|Drugan’s work is widely published and honored with a variety of awards. Their most well-known works include:
- Emerald City, an environmental artwork at the entry to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,
- Sun Spot, an iconic set of sculptures for the Denver Animal Shelter, and
- Water Mark, large-scale sculptures and earthworks that both control and enhance perception of flood events in Scottsdale, Arizona’s Indian Bend Wash.
Both artists hold Master’s degrees in landscape architecture and have taught at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and University of Washington.
The artists found the site and facility "incredibly inspiring" and early in the project said:
"We are excited by the opportunity to create a unique artwork for the Rocky Ridge Recreation Facility and look forward to collaborating with everyone involved to realize its full artistic potential.”
Community Engagement
To develop the concept for this artwork, Laura and Tom met with the community to discuss their research and thoughts about the site.
A survey asked the community their opinion about:
- Significant or unique features of the area,
- Outdoor activities they would likely engage in at the recreation centre
- Favourite seasons, and
- Favourite outdoor spaces in Calgary.
More whimsical questions asked people to imagine if a movie was made at the centre, what genre it would be, and to draw or describe a mythical creature that might be discovered there.
The community response affirmed the artists’ ideas about locating the art outdoors, and embracing the site’s unique topography and natural environment, engaging views, sunlight and weather. From the input received, there was a strong consensus that the art should embrace the natural environment, especially the striking views to and from the nearby hills.
The artwork designed for the Rocky Ridge Recreation Facility connects people to the unique natural features and wildlife of the site, and creates memorable, iconic experiences that reflect the community’s identity and values.
Paul Sinclair was a community member who took part in this process as a member of the public art selection committee, and he says that he is "pleased to see this vision of the community rise up and become an iconic part of Calgary." He feels that the artwork will "not only enhance the facility but will also draw people to different locations around the entire site, to appreciate it from various viewpoints."
The Project
The Ascend artwork was commissioned as part of the Rocky Ridge Recreation Facility construction project. The artist team of Haddad|Drugan applied to an open international call in 2013, and was chosen by a project-specific selection panel of five Calgarians. The selection panel also approved the artists’ concept.
Public Art Budget: $1.148M shared between Ascend and a second public artwork on site, Flock.
Project Completion: scheduled to be installed in 2018.