Diatom Whisper: Alchemy
Ingrid Koivukangas
Cast and fused glass
Installed June, 2009
Marina Park
In 2008 the City ran a public art competition for artwork for the 25,000 square foot Skateboard/BMX Plaza at Prince Arthur’s Landing. The site would also serve as a casual socializing space, set within the vibrant waterfront landscape at Prince Arthur’s Landing. The public art component aimed to commission works that would capture the spirit of Thunder Bay’s Waterfront vision - “year round, connected, ours to celebrate” - and provide an artistic vision for the entire skate plaza. The artwork had to demonstrate a connection between the skate plaza and people of all ages, the local environment and local heritage, and in particular, Lake Superior.
North Vancouver artist Ingrid Koivukangas describes her artwork:
Diatoms are tiny algae that float around in fresh and sea water – they account for a quarter of all the photosynthesis on earth. They are tiny alchemists, taking silicon dissolved in water and turning it into intricate glass houses which then assist them with photosynthesis. Diatoms make a larger contribution to fighting global warming than most land plants. Not only do they release oxygen as a waste product, but when they die their remains sink to the bottom of the lake or ocean, locking away carbon forever.
Diatom Whisper: Alchemy creates a visual connection between the viewer and the unseen microscopic world that lives in the waters of Lake Superior near the Marina Park Skate Plaza.
Koivukangas’ artwork integrated twelve microscopic images of diatoms collected from Lake Superior.
View other Public Art Projects.
