Public site-specific installation
Dimensions: One city block
Materials: Styrofoam heads, used clothing, wood, tape, insulation
Completed 2012
The future site of the World Trade Centre, located in the heart of downtown Halifax, serves as a stark reminder of urban potential unfulfilled—a demolished, inaccessible wasteland that has become a focal point for heated public debate regarding its future use. For the past 24 months, this politically charged site has remained in a state of limbo, awaiting development. It is within this under-utilized and highly polarized space that I chose to create my exhibition, "Town Square."
For this project, I constructed 112 human-scaled “figures” dressed in business-like attire. Each figure is designed to be more sophisticated than a scarecrow yet less polished than a store mannequin, embodying a unique blend of presence and imperfection. The installation began with an initial 60 figures, with the remaining 52 added periodically over the following weeks, allowing the population of figures to grow and evolve over time.
Surrounded by a chain-link fence, the site enforces a minimum viewing distance, creating a barrier that frustrates any attempt to engage with the installation up close. As viewers navigate around the fence, the overall composition of the work subtly shifts, revealing new figures while others seem to fade away. This dynamic interaction invites contemplation on the nature of presence and absence in public spaces.
Throughout the three-month installation, I regularly entered the site to reposition figures and repair any damage caused by vandalism or inclement weather, ensuring that the installation remained intact and true to its vision.