Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, March 08, 2013

Government cancels public viewing of designs for War of 1812 monument

OTTAWA — The Department of Canadian Heritage abruptly cancelled a planned public unveiling of six competing designs for a prominent new monument to the War of 1812 on Parliament Hill.

Models produced by the six finalists were to have been exhibited Thursday as part of a “public vernissage,” according to a December 2012 news release from the National Capital Commission, which is partnering with Canadian Heritage on the high-profile project.

“During this event, the public will have the opportunity to meet the artists and give their opinion on each of the concepts,” the release said, adding that their comments would be compiled and shared with the jury that will select the winning design.

But NCC spokesman Charles Cardinal said Thursday Canadian Heritage “cancelled the vernissage and they’re moving forward with the process.” He referred further questions to Canadian Heritage.

Late Thursday afternoon, a Canadian Heritage spokesman issued a terse response. “The selection process is proceeding as planned,” said Len Westerberg. “The vernissage scheduled for tonight has been postponed. Further details will be shared in due course.”

Even if the vernissage proceeds at a later date, the decision to cancel Thursday’s event raises questions about how much weight the jury — made up of “art and design professionals” from across Canada as well as a representative of Canadian Heritage — will give to public input.

The six finalists were in Ottawa Thursday and presented their proposals to the jury. “I presented this morning and I guess the jurors will soon make up their minds,” Vancouver artist Ken Lum, one of the artists competing for the commission, said in an email.

The decision to cancel Thursday’s vernissage appears to have been made quite recently. “I only found out days before coming here,” Lum said. Just two weeks ago, the NCC had said it would be announcing details of the event within days.

The unveiling of the new monument is planned for the fall of 2014, towards the end of the two-year commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Despite grappling with a deficit that has prompted deep spending cuts in many areas, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has given the celebrations high priority. It’s spending $28 million over three years on dozens of national and community events.

Last September, the NCC and Canadian Heritage gave artists interested in designing the monument until Oct. 22, 2012 to submit their qualifications.

The monument, they said, “will be a national tribute to the heroic efforts, courage and solidarity of the men and women who successfully defended their land in the fight for Canada. It will help Canadians learn about this defining historical milestone.”

The NCC said a jury would select finalists who would then prepare design concepts and present them to the jury in March 2013. The winning artist will receive a fee of $787,000.

The NCC announced the names of the six finalists in December. They include some prominent artists, including Lum, whose paintings, sculptures and photography have been exhibited around the world. The others are:

• Toronto sculptor Adrienne Alison, whose monumental figures throughout that city commemorate distinguished historical individuals. She was also selected to design the ACTRA Award, given annually to Canada’s most gifted artists.

• Brian Cooley, a Calgary sculptor who specializes in life-size reconstructions of dinosaurs. His work can be seen in museums around the world and his sculptures have appeared on three National Geographic magazine covers.

• Eldon Garnet, a multidisciplinary artist from Toronto and professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design. His public art commissions include a memorial to Chinese Railway Workers in Toronto.

• David Clendining, owner of Summit Studios in Ottawa. He has designed, carved and fabricated all the bronze works along Confederation Boulevard, gargoyles on Parliament Hill and monuments in the Garden of the Provinces and Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau.

• Anna Passakas and Radoslaw Kudlinski of Toronto, a two-artist collaboration known as Blue Republic. Originally from Poland, their multimedia works have been exhibited around the world.

Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Don Butler

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