Concert

Fae Logie | Tiki Mulvihill | Shirley Wiebe

December 7, 2014 – March 15, 2015

Three artists working together in a collective agreement of purpose, feeling and action to devise an installation that mirrors architectural and sound elements of the park. We work as a collaborative team not only to open a dialogue with each other as artists, but also to illustrate and model how individuals come together through shared ideas.

As the second of three components in the one-year project of CONDUIT, Concert’s timeline spans the winter months into 2015, and the beginning of the Year of the Sheep (February 19).

Our focus on hybrids, both in nature and culture, addresses the circumstances of mixed elements within a local identity. Animals in the Chinese horoscope and signs of the Zodiac are explored. The significance of the moon as a source of energy and symbolism reflects in both materials and surfaces. Concert also references the three artists’ individual signs and symbols.

On-Site Installation:

Within our three hybrid stations, East meets West through a cross-cultural fusion of Zodiac signs and Astrological symbols.

Hybrid I:

Numerous cultures have interpreted visions of stars in the night sky. The hourglass shaped constellation of Orion is recognizable in the southern night sky especially from December to March. In the western Zodiac, Orion is associated with Sagittarius, the hunter, or archer, his arrow landing in the adjacent pond. Above Orion, garden hose salvaged from the park contorts into fractal configurations inspired by the curvilinear Yin pattern in the leak window. Rather than winding along the ground to transport water, this snake-like being is airborne.

Hybrid II:

The element of water links to both Eastern and Western astrology. The ponds effectively enact these characteristics and provide a backdrop for the Hybrid II.

Imitations of famous scenic spots were built into Chinese parks, such as ‘Three Moons Reflected in Water.’ In direct translation, three convex mirrors are fashioned to float in three phases: Full, Crescent and Gibbous. In turn, they reflect an all-encompassing view of sky, architecture and viewers.

Nearby, the weeping willow serves as a tree of enchantment. Spiraling metal ribbons suspend down toward the water, playing with the fluidity of raindrops from the sky. Chinese Culture considers that waters sprinkled by means of a willow branch have a purifying effect.

 

Hybrid III:

Willow is the Buddhist symbol of meekness and this quality is also attributed to the rabbit, one of twelve animal signs in the Chinese horoscope. The rabbit is distinguished by peacefulness, an attribute used to describe the traditional design of a Chinese public park. Within western culture this animal knows how to successfully leap, hide and camouflage within its environment.

Through a floating Sagittarian symbol, Orion’s arrow points towards this animal, directing our gaze beyond simple glances, to truly grasp what we may not actually look for or see in the natural world. The rabbit hybrid responds to our glance and to the wind through the mechanism of whirligig.