On social media, ‘The Barge’ takes on a new life as a public art installation

Key Takeaways:

• On Wednesday, the City of Vancouver announced that Transport Canada had received a plan to relocate the barge.
• The barge at English Bay never ceases to inspire Vancouverites.

As a public art installation, one online meme refers to the barge, which became stranded at English Bay during a some storm last month.

After a failed try to remove the barge, Greg @goldenmulletman tweeted, “Hey @CityofVancouver, you should admit defeat or declare this barge an urban art installation.”

Barrie Mowatt, the founder and president of the Vancouver Biennale, the region’s outdoor public art exhibition, knows a thing also two about public art.

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He stated that the barge is not public art, but it could be. “It’s in the public and artful in its current position,” he says, “but it’s not public art in the sense that we define public art.” “It certainly draws people’s attention and connects them with the space.” So in that sense, it’s fantastic.”

Mowatt believes the barge could become public art is incorporated into a narrative about False Creek’s former industrial heritage, for example, and how the city has changed since then. In addition, he suggested that it be painted and turned into a mural in a way that did not resemble graffiti.

“Yes,” he said from Palm Springs, “it could become an interesting piece of public art.” “As it stands now, with good signage, it has the potential to generate dialogue and engagement about what constitutes public art.”

Not everyone agrees that the barge is or could be considered public art. Jo-Ann Heinz cycled from Yaletown to English Bay also Sunset Beach on Wednesday morning after a friend contacted her to say something was going on. Even though a high tide and whitecaps on the water suggested movement, nothing did.

Christopher Gaze, founder or artistic director of Bard on the Beach, Vancouver’s summer Shakespeare festival, recalled the king’s famous St. Crispin’s Day speech on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. The address was intended to motivate the outnumbered English forces to defeat the French.

According to Gaze’s version, the speech is about the failure to float the barge away on the king tide, which would have lifted the barge-like “Noah’s flood.”

Source: vancouversun