There’s a giant red bear coming to Toronto’s waterfront

We’ll soon see a giant red bear lounging in the snow and an intricate black bamboo cage on Toronto’swaterfront. If you haven’t guessed what’s going on yet, Ice Breakers 2018 is back!

Between January 19 and February 25, five art installations will stand on Queens Quay from York St. to Spadina Ave., encouraging more locals and tourists to explore the waterfront during the winter. The initiative is organized by the Waterfront BIA and the Winter Stations founders.  

“After the huge success of last year’s Ice Breakers event, we decided to open the exhibition up as an international competition for 2018,” says Carol Jolly, Executive Director, The Waterfront BIA. “We were looking for installations that would bring colour, warmth and activity to the Waterfront – attracting visitors from across the City to experience this spectacular wintertime streetscape.”

There were more than 100 submissions from all around the world. Designers and artists were asked to submit a design inspired by the theme: constellation.

The jury consisted of Heather A. Meltzer, Principal, Bow Bridge Communications LLC, Udo Schliemann, Principal Creative Director, Entro Communications, Ilana Shamoon, Cultural Programming and Public Art Commissions Manager, Waterfront Toronto, Jeremy Smith, Chief Development Officer, Harbourfront Centre and Deborah Wilson, Vice President Communications and Public Affairs, PortsToronto, and Waterfront BIA and Winter Stations organizers.

“We were bowled over by the high standard of entries this year, and the creative responses to the theme ‘constellation,’” says Winter Stations co-founder Ted Merrick of Ferris + Associates. “We chose the winners based on their originality, feasibility and how interactive and engaging we thought they could be.”

‘Through the Eyes of the Bear’ by Tanya Goertzen of People Places (Calgary, Canada)

This design was inspired by Ursa Major and will be made of recyclable and compostable materials, encouraging passersby to contemplate how humans interact with nature.

‘Black Bamboo’ by Bennet Marburger and Ji Zhang of 2408 Studio (Hangzhou Shi, China)  

This one’s made of 90 painted bamboo poles, abstractly arranged to form the shape of a cube. People will be able to climb and walk through it.

‘Winter FanFare’ by Thena Tak (Vancouver, Canada)

This installation is made up of a cluster of rotating sculptures, encouraging people to move between them and interact with the art.

‘Ensemble’ by João Araújo Sousa and Joana Correia Silva, JJs Arquitectura (Porto, Portugal)

Inspired by windchimes, ‘Ensemble’ brings architecture, music, and astronomy all together. People can interact with the structure, creating a constantly changing soundscape.

‘Root Cabin’ by Liz Wreford and Peter Sampson, Public City Architecture (Winnipeg, Canada)

Coloured wood and weathered roots come together to form a shelter, and the coloured part of the installation reveals the shape of a traditional habitat.

We can’t wait to go check out the Ice Breakers 2018 installations!