About the Artist: Marc Boutin is the founder and head of the Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative in Calgary. The 7 person collective is interested in blending art, architecture and urban design into their creations. Their work has been applauded both internationally and abroad and they have received numerous awards including the Architecture Award from the American Institute of Architects and the 2002/2003 Prix de Rome in Architecture. Boutin also works as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary where he states he is passionate about "the intersection of teaching and research as practice."
"Memoryscape" was completed in 2013 as a commission by the City of Edmonton. The City worked with the Edmonton Arts Council to select an artist best suited for the work. The piece was created in tribute to the many military families living in and around Edmonton. Boutin said he wanted the piece to discuss the story of the soldier as both a peacekeeper and as a key figure in his or her local community and home-life. The piece consists of 9 steel boxes of varying size with perforated holes creating an image of Canadian soldiers and their families. The site for the work, situated at the back of City Hall on 104 Ave, was selected because it is the route soldiers take when they leave and return home from service.
My Thoughts: I noticed this work for the first time a few months ago and was curious what sort of story it was trying to tell. I like the fact that the work is dedicated to the dual life led by military soldiers at home and on tour. Being located at City Hall, particularly where it can be easily seen by the military, is also appropriate because of the large number of military-related events and ceremonies that take place at City Hall and on Churchill Square. That being said, I wish the work had been placed in a larger green-space, perhaps in the large front lawns of City Hall of the Square. Being tucked right next to the large building means the work is dwarfed and often missed. Also, I think the drilled holes and textures in the steel would look interesting in the sunlight. Unfortunately, due to the location of the piece, it only receives shade for most of the day.
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