GLOW

GLOW!! The Light show!! This is an interactive light festival sponsored by Downtown Calgary that took place on the weekend, with a dozen separate installations spread throughout the downtown area, free to the public and an appealing to all ages. There were quite a few local artists involved in this exhibit but also pieces from  other Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto and a couple of International entries too, such as Estonia, Spain and Australia. All of the pieces were quite varied in their approach to using light as a medium, everything from the very large ("TropiCalgary", a projected architectural mapping piece cast against the entire side of the old Calgary courthouse building) to the small ("The Door", a framed door that acts as a gateway and reveals an ever changing light-scape with each opening).
Though best viewed in person, at night, here's a few photos of many of the sculptures and art work, plus a few of some of the other sights we took in while strolling throughout the core.

"Prismatica" was a set of revolving prisms that changed colour as they spun

Plenty of people at Olympic Plaza, skating and checking out the GLOW installations that were located at that venue

Stephen Avenue is still all lit up from the seasonal Christmas decorations

"Smile" would light up when you placed your face in the stand and smiled

The Calgary Tower was lit up too

"Wonderland" wasn't part of the GLOW event but still a great piece to visit

I took this shot from inside, giving the sculpture what might be called the  Hollow Face Illusion ( the features appear to be looking inward, no outward) 

Tree well sculpture titled "Alberta's Dream" was done by Jaume Plensa, the same artist who created "Wonderland"

"Alberta's Dream" bears the names of many of Alberta's significant cites and towns

"Chopsticks = Chandelier" is a piece made entirely of illuminated chopsticks and chopstick holders

We spoke with artist Jeremy Tsang, who explained the significance of the piece, including the connection to the many Chinese migrant workers who built the railroad

An interactive piece titled "Pulse Quasar", changed as viewers moved on the touch pads located underneath.

"Nibbles' was created by Australian artist Amanda Parer

A snapshot of "TropiCalgary", though the video below is much better to see the real effect.

 

Heading back down Stephen Avenue, we passed the "Galleria Trees", sculptures that also break up the wind gusts that happen along the Avenue because of  all the buildings