Читать книгу A Sense of Place - Robin Laurence - Страница 19

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river that is of such great importance to the First Nations people of the region. Travellers from afar enter the city of Vancouver, the province of British Columbia and the country of Canada by passing through lands etched with millennia of aboriginal history.

The public area of the International Terminal, where Reid’s sculpture stands, was also designed around the artwork. Conceived as a town square encircled by shops and restaurants, the area functions as a public space where people pause in their journeys to eat, drink, shop and contemplate The Jade Canoe and the voyage it symbol-izes. More importantly, however, Reid’s sculpture communicates its power within YVR’s thematic master plan, the intention of which is to evoke the natural beauty and the cultural heritage of British Columbia, creating a memorable portrait of a particular place. For many visitors, YVR provides both their first and last impressions of British Columbia.

The architecture and interior design of the International and Domestic Terminals reiterate the province’s natural forms, materials and colours, while the art emerges from and directly represents its Native cultures. In tandem with the powerful works commissioned for the Musqueam Welcome Area, the arrival of The Jade Canoe signified an enduring commitment from YVR to collect and display First Nations art of

British Columbia. Performing an additional and wholly practical function, aligned with traffic flow, orientation and way-finding, major works have been placed at gates, portals and other spots where important directional changes are made by travellers. The Jade Canoe, the most photographed sculpture at YVR — often described as the heart of the airport — provides a popular meeting place for both locals and visitors navigating the terminal.