OTTAWA –
The recent dinosaur nap in Ottawa’s Chinatown is just the latest in a string of incidents that have sent people in the Canadian capital buzzing about public art.
Three people pulled an animated purple dinosaur statue, part of a four-month-old art installation, off the sidewalk in late June.
They released the hostages last week after the police got involved, but other parts of BIA Chinatown’s “selfie station” project were also subject to neighborhood abuse — like a The yellow dinosaur disappeared earlier this year.
Pandas are also missing, and Logger Vick, a character from the popular Chinese cartoon Boonie Bears, has been beheaded.
The story of the dinosaur crime comes as the people of Ottawa are arguing over a new National Capital Commission art installation made of torn tires.
The work, called When Rubber Meets Road, depicts a large crow representing a roadblock.
But has Ottawa really cornered the market on the country’s craziest public art or the most unusual reactions to it?
Here are some of the most memorable times when Canadian public art has made a splash in recent years.
A Spider-Man On The Wall In VANCOUVER
A giant metal spider appeared under the East Vancouver flyover in March.
The city quickly labeled the artwork depicting a spider as “unauthorized” and sought to remove it from under a high-traffic bridge, saying the spider terrifies commuters.
The creator of spiders, artist Junko Playtime, has launched a social media campaign to “help save spiders!”
By then, the artwork had attracted a lot of public attention and support.
In April, Vancouver Co. Peter Meiszner, who was interviewed by the BBC about the spider controversy, announced the city would temporarily leave the artwork called “Phobia” in place.
SILVER IN EDMONTON
A 26-year-old man was trapped in Edmonton’s Talus Dome after climbing a screen and falling through a hole in April.
Wakeem Courtoreille was trapped inside the public artwork made up of more than 1,000 metal balls for about an hour and a half until firefighters rescued him.
He told the media he “just wanted to go on an adventure.”
After he tried to climb out of the sculpture three times, firefighters were forced to use the “Jaws of Life” – a rescue tool commonly used to rescue people in car accidents.
Courtoreille was later arrested and charged with mischief over $5,000.
RESEARCH FOR REAL ESTATE IN TORONTO
It’s hard to miss the 25-foot tall statue of a creepy white-collar man clutching a skyscraper-tall apartment tower.
The artwork was installed in 2019 outside — you guessed it — a Toronto apartment building on St. Clair West.
It sparked many conversations among Torontonians looking for deeper meaning. Is that a visual representation of the zoning variance under Ontario’s Planning Act offered to developers in exchange for community benefits such as public art?
Or is it a metaphor for “the domination of a certain class over supposedly diverse and multicultural society”, as one Twitter user pointed out shortly after the installation?
For some, it’s simply ugly.
FUN WATER AT HALIFAX
Halifax’s infamous “waves” have long been seen as more of a jungle gym than a public art performance.
A sign in front of the sculpture that reads “please don’t climb on the waves” is often overlooked, with children climbing onto the riverside sculpture and sliding back onto its smooth surface.
A 2013 petition launched by resident Ian Palmer, who became known as “Wave Dad”, called on the city government to add safety measures to the two-meter-tall structure. This.
The plea went viral and caused a strong reaction, with many criticizing .wavedad on Twitter for wanting change.
Despite the controversy, the wave remains unchanged — and is still used as a slide.
A HIGHLIGHT MESS IN CALGARY
A woman’s coat was burned by Calgary’s “Wishing Well” art display in 2013 as she stood next to the reflective structure.
The $600,000 stainless steel sculpture, similar to Chicago’s famous “The Bean,” burned Nimrodel Donahue’s costume, the Calgary Herald reported in 2014.
The piece was kept in a warehouse and wrapped in insulating plastic until last year, for reasons described as safety.
The heat-seeking structure was then re-installed in a shady corner of Calgary.
City officials insist that this time it won’t burn viewers due to the non-reflective coating added inside.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 8, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial support of Meta and the Canadian Press News Scholarship.
