New Vancouver public artwork by Swedish artist Henrik Håkansson unveiled
A Rock Divided was commissioned by esteemed architect Kengo Kuma for new Alberni building, which will also house new Japanese restaurant
THERE’S A NEW piece of public art catching people’s eyes in downtown Vancouver. A Rock Divided by Swedish artist Henrik Håkansson was commissioned for a new residential tower called Alberni by leading contemporary Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
A Rock Divided consists of a 6,000-pound granite boulder excavated from a quarry near Squamish B.C. that is cut into four equal sections sandwiched between panes of three-quarter-inch tempered glass. The intersecting glass creates a plinth, with the boulder suspended at eye level.
The rock and its reflection float, “as if mirroring the moving planet, an expression of the measure of time, weight and value, contrasting with its surroundings and the sky to create its own unique ecology”, according to a release. “The work seeks to reflect the seemingly static yet ever-changing relationship between the climate and our physical environment.”
Håkansson, who splits his time between Berlin, Germany, and Falkenberg, Sweden, has been exhibiting internationally since 1993. His new work was unveiled on May 10 during a ceremony that featured a performance by American-Japanese-Korean pianist Rachel Naomi Kudo.
It will also house the forthcoming Aburi Hana Vancouver. The restaurant by Aburi Restaurants Canada and Westbank features the same fine-dining ethos as Aburi's Michelin-star Aburi Hana in Toronto. At the same time, it will redefine what the group calls "washoku", or Japanese food culture, by harmoniously incorporating Japanese ingredients, seasonings, and cooking methods alongside local elements. The restaurant group has recruited a soon-to-be announced renowned chef from Japan to helm Aburi Hana Vancouver, who most recently served as sous chef at a Michelin two-star establishment. Next door and down the road, a second project by Aburi Restaurants Canada and Westbank will be added.
Related Articles
Presenting the Anishinaabe artist with the award at today’s ceremony, Scott Watson described her as “one of not just Canada’s, but her generation’s most important artists”
Toronto-based artists Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, and Ryan Ferko collaborate on a multi-channel video installation
Headlined by Polaris Music Prize–winning Colombian Canadian artist Lido Pimienta, program spans film, visual arts, dance, literary, and music events
Works by Gordon Smith, Bill Reid, Roy Kiyooka, Toni Onley, and eight others are displayed in new exhibition, all donated by late collector Harry Locke
Artists Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour, and Ryan Ferko use video installation to honour French filmmaker who died in 1970 by helicopter crash in Iran
Annual art auction at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver to feature works by 90 different artists, spanning Dana Claxton, Douglas Coupland, Andy Dixon, and beyond
Free three-day festival offers visitors an insider’s look into the practices of more than 300 artists across North Vancouver and West Vancouver
Solo interdisciplinary exhibition depicts 1970s and ’80s farmworker movements with stop-motion animation, black-and-white drawings, hand-stitched quilts, and poetry
Five shortlisted artists vying for the $25,000 prize announced
Unforeseen price escalation prompts gallery to issue an update on the project’s progress
Major works by local and international artists—including Beau Dick, Teresita Fernández, Geoffrey Farmer, and Ron Terada—have been added to the gallery’s permanent collection
Artists Amai Campbell-Kamangirira, Willie Lewis, and Marion Jacobs will expand on their works in the exhibition with curator Damara Jacobs-Petersen
Multimedia performance produced by Liquidation World under creative direction of Katayoon Yousefbigloo features a Resort clothing collection designed by artists
q̓emxwéqsem (to tie a knot at the end of your thread) is a new exhibition at Craft Council of B.C. until September 26
Copresentation with Surrey Art Gallery and Powell Street Festival unpacks Tsang’s Hastings Park and Tansy Point exhibitions, the basis for his new catalogue
The self-guided stroll at Spanish Banks’ tidal flats begins at a site-responsive installation, and comes with an eight-page zine
Group exhibition spans paintings, drawings, ceramic sculptures, and more
In a sanctuary of arresting self-portraits at the Polygon Gallery, photography artist Martine Gutierrez plays with identity as she transforms into figures like Mary, Cleopatra, and Lady Godiva
Exhibit created by MONOVA: Museum and Archives of North Vancouver explores life and legacy of late Tsleil-Waututh actor, author, musician, poet, activist, environmentalist, and First Nations advocate
From flamenco dance to zine-making, there are hands-on sessions for people of all artistic levels
Collection presented by the Craft Council of BC draws inspiration from court-lady tomb figures made during the Tang Dynasty in China
Esther Rausenberg reflects on the festival’s origins as it diversifies its outdoor arts-workshop programming with concerts, a beer garden, and more
Filipina-Australian artist Bhenji Ra’s first solo exhibition in Canada, made in collaboration with a Tausug elder, documents a process of ancestral learning
The artist will carve a story pole at the entrance to SLCC’s Great Hall
The Erickson family and the Arthur Erickson Foundation announce AE100, 12 months of films, exhibits, lectures, and more, launching July 7
Guests get an exclusive tour of Tom Thomson: North Star exhibition followed by an al fresco dinner on-site by Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Opening at East Van’s Outsiders and Others gallery on July 6, exhibit features sculptures crafted to look like timeworn found objects