While We Wait

Behind Marlbourough Mall on Marlbourough Way in the NorthEast of Calgary, there’s this lonely bus stop that offers little more than a solitary bench for folks to sit on while waiting for their bus. The ground surrounding this secluded spot is a tapestry of earth, packed down over the years as countless footsteps have trampled through. Yet, amidst the wear and tear, resilient grass persists, stubbornly pushing its way up through the dirt, standing as a testament to nature’s tenacity in the face of urban life. Time hasn’t been too kind to this little corner of the world, which has witnessed its fair share of Calgarians standing by, waiting for their rides.

In this urban landscape, Srimal Ranasinghe from Sustainable Calgary recognized a gap and envisioned a way to enhance the experience of waiting for public transport here. He initiated contact with Daniel J Kirk, the innovative mind behind Blank Page Studios, to come up with an engaging and thoughtful solution for those passing through. Daniel then reached out to Mike and Martha Zweifel, a talented welder and the mastermind behind Martha’s Metal Art. Together, they embarked on a collaborative journey to brainstorm a sculpture that would not only capture the essence of this space but also tap into some form of sustainable energy.

This collaborative effort culminated in the project titled While We Wait, which began as a concept for a vibrant and playful public art installation. The aim was to utilize everyday materials to inject life into this oft-overlooked area, making the wait for the bus a more enjoyable experience. One of the challenges we faced was finding a way to incorporate sustainable energy in a practical manner, particularly for a location that typically lacks such resources.

After much brainstorming and creativity, we decided to incorporate oil barrels into the design—an element that is instinctively recognized by everyone living in Alberta and Calgary, given the region’s strong connection to the oil industry. The sculpture itself is dynamic, bending and twisting in fascinating ways, moving away from the usual cylindrical appearance of oil barrels. It almost resembles living creatures breaking free from the ground, adding an organic feel to the installation.

As we delved deeper into the design, the shapes began to interact with one another in a way that was unexpected and delightful, almost as if they were engaged in their own little conversations through their movement. This interaction was a key aspect of the design, aiming to invite and encourage the onlookers to engage with the artwork as they waited for their buses, transforming a simple wait into a moment of reflection and connection to the community around them. The resulting sculpture stands not only as a functional piece of art but also as an emblem of sustainability and community spirit in the heart of Calgary.

When night rolls around, the sculpture takes on a new dimension as they light up with the help of LED lights embedded in each of the towering sculptures. Ido Kerpel from Eco-Smart Solutions Inc. provided the solar panel system that generates the energy we needed to power the lights, so that the sculpture could run on its own, making it a unique art project that is self-sustainable while also brightening up an otherwise forgotten space.