After months of vetting, U.K.-based artist Gerry Judah’s sculpture depicting a splash of water was selected by a local seven-member jury.
A 70-foot-tall steel sculpture called Spirit of Water will be the focal point of the expanded BMO Centre’s outdoor plaza.
Officials from the Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC) and Calgary Stampede showed off miniature models depicting the future $2.25-million public art piece on Wednesday, while also introducing its creator, U.K.-based artist Gerry Judah.
The sculpture, weighing more than 50,000 kilograms, will depict a blue splash of water. It was created using more than 200 vertical steel tubes, according to a city news release.
Thorough vetting process
The process of identifying public art for the BMO Centre expansion first began in 2021, according to CMLC, garnering responses from 218 artists and artist groups from around the world.
After a months-long vetting process, 39 advanced to a review by a volunteer jury of 11 local experts in art and placemaking.
That was eventually whittled down to a shortlist of six finalists, who were then invited to submit more detailed proposals. Following several days of presentations and 14 hours of deliberations, the jury’s voting members recommended Judah’s submission.
“Public art has always been a big part of the thinking behind this project,” said Kate Thompson, CMLC president and CEO. “Because we are all starting to see the architecture come to life and getting so familiar with the shape and scale of this project, when we started and saw the design for this project and landed on the design … we knew public art in this 40,000-square-foot outdoor plaza would be a really key ingredient in the overall project.”
Who is Gerry Judah?
Judah is a U.K.-based artist specializing in large-scale sculptures and three-dimensional drawings.
Born in India but raised in London, U.K., his other pieces have been hosted at festivals, museums and in public realms across the United States, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, as well as his own country. His online portfolio features sculptures that date as far back as the 1970s.
Visitors to the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex would likely be familiar with Judah’s stylistic designs. Over the years, he has created several large-scale sculptures for that festival on behalf of Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Ford, Rolls-Royce, Honda, Toyota, Land Rover, Alfa Romeo, Lotus, Mazda, BMW and Aston Martin.
Some of his other notable sculpture projects include Drift in Dallas, Texas, and The Scroll in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. That piece is 120 feet tall and was described on Archello.com as a “contemporary interpretation of the ancient Arabic scrolls — a single, spiralling sculpture that loops toward the sky.”
“It’s essential to everything,” he said. “Water and water symbols have also been an integral part of ancient societies and cultures. It further remains one of the most important elements of nature, and one that continues to hold its importance, both as a physical object and as a symbolic representation of various universal concepts.”
Spirit of Water will reflect “the power of water from above” as it splashes down and out, the artist added.
“I’m very proud for the opportunity to have worked with CMLC and the Calgary Stampede to bring this piece to life in such an exciting and important time for Calgary’s revitalization,” he said. “It is my hope that Spirit of Water will capture the spirit of this particular place in Calgary.”
The BMO Centre expansion’s public art budget of $2.25 million includes all fees and expenses related to fabrication costs, delivery and installation of Spirit of Water.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said public art is the “narrative of who we are.”
“That’s why pieces like this are significant in our journey forward as a city that is future-proofing itself and making itself accessible to the world,” she said.
Local firm Heavy Industries will work with Judah and the BMO Centre project team to install the sculpture next spring.
The expanded BMO Centre is slated to open in 2024.
