Fantastic Planet !
Something B I G is going on in downtown Edmonton.
Fantastic Planet is an illuminated , large-scale public art installation in our downtown core. Yesterday I sought out the giant inflatable structures most of which I spotted at the Winston Churchill Square, City Hall plaza. They are called ……
Down There at City Hall Plaza
Peeping Corner at Sir Winston Churchill Square
Poke at Sir Winston Churchill Square
Comfort at Abbey Glen Park
What’s That at Sir Winston Churchill Square
Over at MacEwan University
They are absolutely incredible in their size and quite awe inspiring. The idea behind them is for Downtown Spark , a program designed to support economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic by drawing visitors to the downtown core.
“These enormous illuminated humanoids have been invading the globe recently, having travelled from afar to give audiences the impression that they have just landed and are gently exploring our ‘Fantastic Planet’. Inspiration for this light installation has been taken from the 1973 Czech/French film Fantastic Planet (La Planète Sauvage). This stop-motion science fiction film, directed by René Laloux, depicts a story set in an unimaginably distant future, in a world of gargantuan humanoids and where human beings are a feral race.” ( Edmonton Journal)
“Scale is a very important factor in this work in that the artist is allowing the audience to hopefully experience a moment of humility and reflection amongst these large but peaceful giants, a sense that we as a species rarely get to feel.” – Amanda Parer
I also ‘flew’ over to the Community Arts Laboratory on 102 A avenue to see some giant chickadees! The sign says that the birds are here to welcome Spring and to sing the praises of Edmonton all year long.
I highly recommend these wonderful art installations.
Oh! And don’t forget the illuminated Bunnies on Jasper Ave. !
#DTSpark #ExploreEdmonton