I’m not sure which I saw first. The creeping hands…The lashing tail…Fervent, frantic, fevered wings dipping into water…Or something else entirely…
It was on University Avenue, Toronto. A sliver, gleaming, glinting thing that crawled along concrete, penetrated glass and even appeared in the fire-lit warmth of the Shangri-La Lobby Lounge.
Well, what it turned out to be was a major piece of public art from the Chinese artist Zhang Huan, commissioned by the Asian based luxury Shangri-La brand and costing a rumoured 5 million or so dollars. Those trembling fronds represent doves of peace rather than hands of menace. What I thought was a twisting tail is supposed to be a tree that represents the crucial symbiosis between urban and natural landscapes, ecology and balance.
So…my interpretation was completely wrong. But who cares! I loved it as it caught the light from the sun as it sloped through the city by day and winked at the car lights that drove past by night.
I just enjoyed it. What do you think?
Zhang Huan Rising – What do you think?
Disclosure: this trip to Toronto came about thanks to thanks to iAmbassador, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Toronto and the Shangri-La Toronto. All y’know, the usual, all my own. As ever. As always.
I love it, from the photo at least. It may look different in RL,but I love that it’s something different!….just wouldn’t want the job nor the expense of keeping it clean!
Ooh – I have NO idea how they keep it clean. I imagine one lone person toiling away every single day and by the end of the year he/she has finished…and it’s time to start again!
It’s so massive and yet so delicate – must have been hard to capture it?
Yes, I think it’s impossible to catch it all within one shot…it creeps up and through the sides of the building. But it was fun trying – and I’m sure I looked elegant every step of the way (ahem!)
Wheee
In my view.
Glad you like it ;-)
Very nice!!! I’m going to check it out next time I’m in Toronto.
Enjoy! And pop inside for a tea or cocktail too. There’s a lovely Asian-themed lounge.
Wow! Amazing photos. We’re going to Toronto in June and hope we’ll be able to see this. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos.
You’re welcome. Enjoy Toronto – and check out the shoe museum too if you have time. It’s far more interesting than perhaps the name suggests!