MONTREAL, Nov. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Only a matter of days away from the opening of the twenty-first United Nations Conference of the Parties on climate change (COP 21), Equiterre and WWF-Canada are teaming up to present an art project called Polar Bear on Thin Ice. The event will illustrate the impacts of climate disruption using an ice sculpture of a polar bear, an outdoor video projection, and a conference on Arctic issues.
| WHAT: |
Press briefing for the unveiling of the polar bear ice sculpture |
| WHEN: |
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 10 am |
| WHERE: |
In front of Hydro-Quebec park, in Quartier des spectacles (next to Maison du développement durable, 50 Sainte-Catherine St. West, Montréal) |
| WHO: |
|
| - Steven Guilbeault, Co-founder and Senior Director, Équiterre |
|
| - Sophie Paradis, Director for Québec, WWF-Canada |
Moreover, the public can witness the creation of the ice bear from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 23. From the delivery of the massive ice cube, to the final touches, watch as sculptors work to shape a realistic polar bear made of ice.
About the Polar Bear on Thin Ice sculpture
The original Polar Bear on Thin Ice was created in triplicate by British artist Mark Coreth in 2009 to be presented at the COP15 in Copenhagen. The art pieces have also been exhibited among others in London, Ottawa, Quebec City and Toronto since 2010.
In Canada, Inuit artists have always participated in the ice bears' sculpture. And this year will be no exception – the ice bear that will be exhibited in November 2015 will be carved by artist Peter Ittukallak Puvirnituq. He will be assisted by Julien Doré, a sculptor of the Laurentians (Quebec).
The art piece made out of plaster, rubber, ceramic, wax and bronze weighed 6,000 kg covered in ice and 400 kg in its skeletal state. Representing a life-size polar bear, this spectacular sculpture is completely captivating from the moment it is carved until the ice melts away to reveal the skeleton.
Images of the Arctic
To support the amazing art piece, a video will be screened on the wall of St-Laurent metro station and on the wall of the Université du Québec à Montréal's (UQAM) Président-Kennedy pavilion every evening from 5:30 pm to 6 pm, from November 23rd to December 6th. That projection will raise awareness of the impacts of global warming on Arctic biodiversity and communities.
Lunch and learn
Paul Crowley, Director of WWF-Canada's Arctic program, and Steven Guilbeault, co-founder and senior director for Équiterre, will be hosting a conference about the daily struggles that face Arctic inhabitants in the Maison du développement durable's Atrium on November 25, from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. To learn more and RSVP: http://ow.ly/UR95a.
SOURCE WWF-Canada
Image with caption: "Équiterre (CNW Group/WWF-Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151119_C5497_PHOTO_EN_550119.jpg
To schedule interviews or to have more info, contact: Sophie Paradis, Director for Quebec, WWF-Canada, [email protected], 514-603-7627; Dale Robertson, Équiterre, [email protected], 514 605-2000
Share this article