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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Argyle Street pit to become an engaging part of the street? WHAT?

Rat swimming pool to be transformed into rat race replica

Posted by Stephanie Johns on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 1:08 PM

click to enlarge

Stephanie Johns
Spooky!

The Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC), Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Rank Inc. and local artist Scott Saunders dashed my hopes of living out my Leslie Knope-inspired fantasies of transforming an eyesore of a pit into something great. Why? Because they're going to do it first. Let the healing begin.

Funded in part through HRM Open Projects (which we are big fans of), the future convention centre site will become a temporary art project, and they don't mean more Adirondack chairs.

Right this moment (until 5pm today) Saunders will be installing 60 "mannequin-like figured outfitted in business attire" on the site.

"Each figure will be uncommon both in the mannerisms they display and how they are situated within the confines of the vacant lot," says Saunders. "A frozen fenced-in population at once ambiguous, abstract, and wondrous, my figures will dramatically re-contextualize this polarizing space to create a unique viewing experience for the immediate public."

Rad? Rad!

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Comments (10)

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Given that someone recently died as a result of an altercation at this site, having bodies strewn about is quite tasteless. Get the mannequins out and show some respect!

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Posted by Aggravated on 12/21/2011 at 12:50 PM

I dunno, some fresh paint, a few park benches, a couple trees in planters. It'd probably be a nice place for a picnic.

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Posted by Cranky on 12/20/2011 at 1:01 PM

I like it. I think it is hilarious. Totally made me laugh. Thanks Scott and HRM art crew.

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Posted by jayme margaret on 12/20/2011 at 11:09 AM

Nice work! Great way to attract more attention to that gaping wound in the heart of our city. Looks like a war zone with a bunch of dead bodies dumped there. I'm sure visitors to halifax will really appreciate it as well.

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Posted by Barman on 12/20/2011 at 8:53 AM

Has anyone actually seen the site? It's lousy, lame, morbid, unappealing. The only thing uncommon about it is that you'd never expect to see such an ugly mess in the centre of a beautiful city. I love our city and it's art, but this? Re-contextualizing isn't necessarily a thing of value or benefit, in this case its a thing of tasteless money wasting and supporting arguable art, at best. As a taxpayer its insulting, as a proud Haligonian it's embarrassing.

Rad?...no

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Posted by MattyMcMay on 12/19/2011 at 4:11 PM

Yes, until it snows and they become covered in snow and the rats/seagulls tear away their business attire like the did with the other 3 mannequins he put there in November and we're left with a mess of wood, insulation and mannequin heads reminiscent of a zombie attack gone wrong.

What a mess - let's just develop it already.

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Posted by scrubsgirl on 12/17/2011 at 8:01 PM

does this mean the rats will have to relocate? (to the RAT ROOM?)

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Posted by AMSaunders on 12/16/2011 at 8:30 PM

Come on, people! Old manniquins laying in odd positions in a vacant lot? That makes a vacant lot look like somebody threw old retail supplies in it just to be rid of them. Art? I think not. Then again, art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder...lets not leave them there until the lot is eventually developed...

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Posted by Larger than Most on 12/16/2011 at 1:07 PM