Internationally acclaimed Canadian artist David Spriggs
March 12, 2020 (Halifax, NS) – Queen’s Marque, a mixed-use development on the Halifax waterfront, has begun to open its doors. The development, which features luxury residences, office premises, food and beverage spaces, and Halifax’s first five-star luxury hotel, will also be home to a significant new, locally curated, public art collection.
The first major installation happens on Friday, March 13, 2020, when internationally acclaimed Canadian artist David Spriggs completes the installation of ‘Zenith’. Zenith is a 14-ft standing sculpture that will be a beacon within the central business district and the waterfront, located in the office “public room” of Queen’s Marque and visible from the exterior at the George Street Plaza.
“In my work, I explore space and time, movement, and colour as well as the symbols of power and thresholds of form and perception. I was inspired by the power of the ocean and chose the name Zenith to represent aspiration and accomplishment. I hope the viewer finds it positive, powerful and uplifting,” says Zenith creator David Spriggs.
Zenith is an arresting and powerful wave-like form painted on multiple transparent panes, referencing the strength and dynamism of both the ocean and the people of Nova Scotia. The visual experience of Zenith will change throughout the day and night, as it interacts with the changing light.
“Public art is what distinguishes great places. When art intersects with public spaces it brings humanity and life to constructed environments, creating an incubator for conversation and meaningful interaction. Our place on the water’s edge plays an important role in our history, culture and economy. The expression of our home, as depicted in Zenith, is the perfect addition to Queen’s Marque and the Halifax waterfront. Congratulations to The Armour Group on the installation of David Spriggs’ work and for their ongoing commitment to creating space for public art,” says Nancy Noble, Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Zenith is the first installation of an extensive and significant art collection intended to make Queen’s Marque a cultural destination for locals and visitors. Locally curated, the Queen’s Marque collection draws from the best regional and global creative talent, all inspired by Nova Scotia and its people.
About David Spriggs
The artwork of David Spriggs lies in a space between the 2 and 3 dimensions. In his work he explores phenomena, space-time and movement, colour, visual systems and surveillance, the strategies and symbols of power, and the thresholds of form and perception. Spriggs is known internationally for his unique large-scale 3D ephemeral-like installations that use a technique he pioneered in 1999 layering transparent images. David Spriggs is currently based in Vancouver, BC. He was born in 1978 in Manchester, England, and immigrated to Canada in 1992. He received his Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University, Montreal, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University in Vancouver. He undertook student residencies at Central St. Martin’s College of Art in London, England (1999) and the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany (2006). He has exhibited internationally at galleries and museums such as Messums Wiltshire in the UK, Arsenal Montreal in Canada, the Prague Biennial 5 in the Czech Republic, the Louis Vuitton Gallery in Macau, and at the Sharjah Biennial 9 in the UAE. His work can be found in many prestigious collections such as in Hotel VIC Hong Kong, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec.