Conciliation by Indi City
Sometimes you stumble upon public art that stops you in your tracks -- Conciliation is one of those pieces.
Three large-scale multi-coloured laser cut cubes are currently placed at C-Square as one of the many outdoor installations in East Village and across downtown Calgary that are a part of Chinook Blast.
Angel Aubichon and Alex Manitopyes also known as the collective Indi City, are the multi-disciplinary artists behind Conciliation. Known for their wearable art, Indigenous iconography is elemental and present in all of their creative output.
Chinook Blast comes to a close at the end of this weekend (Feb 12 - 28, 2021) , so make sure you get outside, seek out Conciliation and you might just experience a spark of inspiration that makes you get happy with winter.
Concilliation by Indi City at C-Square in East Village. Photo by Neil Zeller.
Q&A with Indi City
This installation is titled Conciliation, how does this word and the work itself interplay with the term “Reconciliation”?
Conciliation is about the action of bringing peace and harmony to end strife. Reconciliation is about reestablishing friendly relations. There are so many unknown aspects of the history regarding relationships between Indigenous Peoples’ and Settlers that needs to be considered as such before we can move forward into reconciliation. There is much strife to circle back to, such as renegotiating the treaties, addressing the lack of clean drinking water on the reserves, and the astounding number of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirit, boys and men.
Can you talk about your colour choice on the cubes?
Calgary/Mohkinstsis has some of the most beautiful chinook sunrises and sunsets. We wanted to incorporate the elements into the designs to blend the motif into the natural environment. The Sun is acknowledged as being the symbol for the Creator so we give thanks for a new day.
Are there any other symbols or elements of this work that are significant to its interpretation?
The syllabics represent the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. The Blanket design is a version of the earrings we make, but was remixed for the installation as a reclamation of tribal design commonly appropriated for wool blankets. There is some juxtaposition in the theme around the traditional use of blankets, the necessity for warmth and the legacy of smallpox infected blankets that were given to the Indigenous as biological warfare.
There is a distinct difference experiencing this work in the sunlight vs. the moonlight. Was this intentional?
Everything is intentional here and the layers of the experience speak to the duality of life. Traditionally we acknowledge both the light and the dark as equal.
How do you envision people interacting or feeling once viewing Conciliation?
We hope that people feel connection to this land, the stories, and that together we can move forward learning not only to survive but to thrive. As with everything we do, we want to share aspects of Indigeneity with everyone, and also create space for authentic representation for our people.
Were there any significant learnings with the conceptualization or fabrication of this piece?
The whole process was a learning process for everyone involved. We learned much together as we pushed forward to see this installation come to life. We all learned a ton about wood in particular! Who knew there was so much to know about it.
You are the first global Indigenous Designers to incorporate wearable technology into traditional regalia with your work ‘The Matriarch Speaks’ - how does your innovation in this space progress your own path and vision as artists?
Pow Wow regalia has always been about innovation; from fabric, ribbons, tools, neon colour palettes, and now technology. We feel this is the next logical step for it. As Artists we are always seeking to breathe life into the next season and this stands as a beacon for our practice and vision. Innovation is an enduring Indigenous legacy.
Your roots are in wearable art. Are there any intersections between wearable art and public art?
We’ve made it one and the same. The designs are scaled versions of our acrylic jewelry. We like to carry the stories into new spaces to see how they resonate, and so far it seems to be a great intersection for these worlds to come together.
What’s one thing you hope the audience takes away from seeing this work in East Village?
While we love sharing aspects of culture with everyone, we really hope that Indigenous youth feel represented and that there is space here in the world for them to do what they love. We hope that the beautiful community of Calgary continues to create space for conciliation. Honouring these stories is a good way to start.
Chinook Blast comes to an end this Sunday (Feb 28). To read more about all the installations in East Village for Chinook Blast, check out the blog post, Chinook Blast Roars into East Village.
Your social calendar can thank 10 key Calgary organizations for bringing it back to life: City of Calgary, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Downtown Calgary, One Yellow Rabbit, Calgary Folk Music Festival, TELUS Convention Centre, Arts Commons, and ENMAX.
Chinook Blast 2021 is powered by Shaw.