Confluence
In 2022, MISC Arts Activities was commissioned to submit a proposal for an Public art Sculpture which would be located at an urban transit station on the Northwest coast of Canada.
Our proposed artwork, we named Confluence, is a tall perforated sculpture made of mirror-finished stainless steel piping, inspired by First Nations Fishing Weirs. Like the fishing weir, our sculpture is located at a major transportation hub and confluence, we are attempting to guide pedestrians and intersect the pathway, listening to the natural currents of travel and creating openings for people to weave in-and-out of the sculpture. “Confluence” provides a visually engaging landmark, as well as a unique spatial experience for both Skytrain passengers and pedestrians arriving at the station.
In our research, we came across the First Nation’s fishing weir technology as an example of confluence and sustainability. Using the understanding of the current, a weir would be set up along the fish migration. There would be a control point where fish could enter, and then be netted or gaffed. After what was needed was collected, the rest were let go to spawn the next generations of fish.
Fishing weirs were used all over BC, including Tahltan territory and belong to a design cannon of creative and ingenious Indigenous fishing methods around the world. Jonathan could relate through the filipino woven fish traps, which has influenced our aesthetic to make our sculpture look like weaving and tapestry- key concepts relating to the multiculturalism of our site.
We deconstructed the fishing weir into 2 key elements: the tripods and the fence. We took visual inspiration from the refractive and brilliant qualities of light as it reflects off bodies of water. We want our sculpture to have a visual sense of movement like ripples and waves, and the feeling of wind skimming across the water’s surface.
Confluence was not chosen for this Public Art Competition; Miscellaneous Arts Activities retains the rights to rework our concept and forms into future artworks and for the design to be considered for other projects.
