NEWS RELEASE
New Art Installations Heighten Climate Change Awareness
(Wednesday, September 15, 2010) - Timing is everything. Hot on the heals of Hurricane Earl’s visit to HRM, Quebec artist José Luis Torres has created two art installations on both sides of Halifax Harbour to heighten awareness of climate change.
As winner of the Climate Change Impacts in HRM Art Competition Torres created "The Observatory" - temporary works that will be in place until mid-October,and can be found in Nathan Greene Square on the Halifax Waterfront and Ferry Terminal Park on the Dartmouth Waterfront.
Taking into account the concept of a city within an ocean, and an ocean within a city, this project proposes to investigate Halifax Harbour and to link Halifax and Dartmouth, creating a poetic dialogue between the “two coasts”. A series of lookouts and buildings have been created as part of this observatory as a means of inviting people to (re) discover the landscape and to observe and consider our surrounding environment. The Observatory encourages us to take a look around from higher viewpoints in order to create an awareness of the ocean our city exists within and to think specifically about how climate change impacts, including sea level rise, could affect our local environment.
José Luis Torres is a native of Argentina who has been established in the Québec region since 2003. His artistic practice draws on both his architecture and visual arts training. Dwellings and small shelters, portability and mobility are recurring themes in his work, in which frequent references to South American culture can also be seen. Recently, his work on the notions of territory and memory has been the subject of several individual exhibitions. His works have been showcased in exhibitions, residencies and symposiums in South America, North America and Europe.
Halifax Regional Municipality commissioned this artwork to create awareness about climate change. The majority of HRM’s infrastructure and population is based on the coastline and the region has numerous areas of susceptibility to coastal erosion and inundation. Sea-level rise and other consequences of climate change such heightened storm intensity and frequency have serious implications for coastal regions.
We can help respond to these threats by incorporating risk management or “adaptation”, emergency preparedness, and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction or “mitigation” actions into our regular activities. For more information on Climate Change Impacts in HRM and how to help mitigate, adapt and prepare for these changes please visit:www.halifax.ca/climate
-30-
Kathy Cooper-MacDonald
HRM Environmental Performance Officer
490 - 3667
cooperk@halifax.ca
Jamie MacLellan
HRM Cultural Affairs
490-1039
maclelj@halifax.ca
