GROW II Land Art Installation Calgary, AB, Canada 2023

GROW II is the second instalment of an experimental work on a small green space in downtown Calgary. The work is a 17000 square foot temporary drawing on the grass made using non-toxic grass dye mixed with fertilizer and iron. The intention of the work is to be highly visible for a few weeks until the dye washes away. Then, as the season progresses the fertilizer and iron take effect, encouraging the work to re-emerge as lush, dark green grass.

This project was completed with the support of Calgary Downtown Association and the City of Calgary. Photos by Nic Nolet.

TOUCH TRACES Digital Print and Paint Calgary, AB, Canada 2022

Touch Traces is a temporary public art project created using hundreds of fingerprints sourced from the community. The work is installed on ten surfaces situated along a busy cycling and pedestrian pathway next to Calgary’s Bow River. The concept capitalizes on the printed medium of the installation by featuring a digital methodology in the work. The contributed fingerprints were documented and manipulated using a flatbed scanner to create elongated, abstract images. The process generates linear, flowing artwork which mirrors the adjacent river.

This project is commissioned by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation as part of their Art in the Public Realm Program.

GROW Land Art Installation Calgary, AB, Canada 2021

GROW is an experimental work installed onto a grass field in Northern Calgary. The objective of the project was to provide the community with a novel and sustainably fabricated temporary public art installation which did not impede the use of the park. GROW is a 100’ by 100’ temporary drawing on the grass completed using non-toxic grass dye mixed with fertilizer and iron. The intention of the work is to be highly visible for a few weeks until the dye washes away. Then as the season progresses the fertilizer and iron take effect, encouraging the work to re-emerge as lush, dark green grass.

This project was completed with the support of the Mount Pleasant Community Association, the Parks Foundation and the City of Calgary.

RISE AND REFLECT Corten Steel Calgary, AB, Canada 2021

Rise and Reflect is an abstract expression of the dynamic nature of the International Avenue area. The work arose through conversations with community members about their personal rituals and the impactful moments in their lives. These stories inspired the artist to create a work referencing expansion and growth. The sculpture suggests these ideas using a linear and geometric visual language, intended to be openly interpreted by viewers as they engage with the work through the lens of their own experiences.

The sculpture is cut from a single sheet of steel and rolled into its current form. With time, a patina will form on the surface of the work reflecting the outdoor elements of the surrounding area. Steel fabrication completed by Mercedes + Singh. 

This project was commissioned by the City of Calgary and the International Avenue BRZ.

BETTER NOT TELL YOU NOW Interactive Sculpture and Outdoor Installation Calgary, AB, Canada 2023

A temporary, engagement-focused public art project by Cassie Suche. Commissioned by the City of Calgary. 

Nestled between CP rail and The Bow, Millican Ogden is somewhat disconnected from the rest of Calgary. A shared sense of separateness among its residents has helped establish it as a tight-knit and exceptionally community-oriented place. The people of Millican Ogden are neighbourly and engaged, and have developed a strong collective support system in the neighbourhood. 

Currently, the neighbourhood is undergoing a number of changes. The City is preparing for construction of the green line, which will strengthen the connection between Millican Ogden and the rest of Calgary. The increasing development is beginning to change the area in noticeable ways. 

Residents have mixed feelings about these changes. There is a back-and-forth dialogue taking place about maintaining Millican Ogden’s If You Know You Know quality, and embracing some of the benefits that could come with a stronger connection to the rest of Calgary.

The artist chose to use Magic 8balls to embody this idea. The toys reference indecision and future-telling with an element of playfulness that mirrors the community’s spirit. Using resident’s responses to open-ended prompts about Millican Ogden, a project with two connected pieces was created. 

The first piece of the work is a set of three interactive magic 8balls. Located at the Millican Ogden community centre, each contains a series of messages and predictions from the residents. The second component of the work displays these messages again on aluminum signs mounted throughout the neighbourhood. The triangular signs continue the motif of the 8ball, organized into sets of four as impromptu poetry. 

Titled Better Not Tell You Now (a traditional, ambiguous 8ball response), the project highlights the notion that this mixed apprehension is fuelled by a deep and resounding love of the neighbourhood. It aims to encapsulate some of Millican Ogden’s character while expressing the community’s collective inquiry for what comes next.