‘My hope is to spark deeper questions in viewers about the urban environment’

“The public has a limited attention span and time to view public artworks. The projection provided me with an opportunity to intervene into this downtown space, to activate this building in a way that is unexpected and meaningful,” Gear highlights.

“With an outdoor piece viewable from the street, I hope to spark curiosity and provoke thought about our urban environment and our connections with nature.”

Gear has divided the animation into three scenes, each evoking themes of transformation, water and nature. It begins with Inuit tattoo geometrics spreading across the pavilion’s marble facade, followed by a rising waterline that floods the space in shades of blue and green. The final sequence introduces a kaleidoscopic motif of beadwork, with silhouettes of Arctic char swimming across the scene.

“My hope is to intrigue and delight, even if only partially glimpsed, and spark deeper questions in viewers about the urban environment, interconnection and how public spaces can be activated by Indigenous artwork.”

To find out more about Glenn Gear’s installation on view until March 30, 2025, visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.