Regina gallery hopes rooftop sculpture turns into focal point
A sculpture by internationally renowned Canadian artist Duane Linklater is expected to spark conversation.
The sculpture is being constructed on the exterior of the T.C. Douglas Building in Regina, which houses the MacKenzie Art Gallery. When finished, the piece will be around 30 metres long.
The piece, called Kâkikê / Forever, is made up of large letters that read “As long as the sun shines, the river flows, and the grass grows,” which were Indigenous words spoken during treaty negotiations with the British crown.
It can have many different meanings, said Anthony Kiendl, executive director of the gallery.
“I think there will be many conversations,” said Kiendl. “It speaks about life and eternity and it kind of communicates a broad notion of an Indigenous sense of time and place, so it locates the work here in Treaty 4 territory.
“It kind of speaks different languages about different times and places. I hope that it becomes a gathering place or almost like a postcard for this city.”
The MacKenzie began this project last year as part of Canada’s 150 celebration.
“We were working on a project about national commemoration, reconciliation and intercultural relations and we thought that the best way to create a legacy for this time was to create a public artwork,” Kiendl said.
The gallery approached 12 Indigenous artists from across Canada and invited them to submit proposals. That list was narrowed to three, and Linklater was chosen to bring his proposal to life.
Kiendl said a large part of the decision-making process was thinking of what fit best in Regina. “Part of our request was to not just plop something down that, you know, an artist might make somewhere else, but to really think about Regina and this context.”
He hopes viewers will look at the sculpture poetically and form their own interpretation.
“It’ll mean different things to different people,” he said. “It expresses, I think, a sentiment and a world view, and that’s very enriching. I feel like it communicates a different view of the world.”
The sculpture is a modern work and will be constructed using custom-built acrylic materials, LED lights and aluminum.
“I think it’s a beacon of hope which acknowledges our history and our challenges, but also speaks to a really positive future,” said Kiendl. “It’s a very timely work in this time of reconciliation and it’s a very positive work.”
The artist declined to be interviewed at this time.