For the fourth year running, Robson Street in downtown Vancouver will play host to a public art project designed to enhance people’s connection to one another and people’s connection to the space. The brief for “Robson Redux “entails transforming a street that acts largely as a pedestrian thoroughfare into something more akin to a plaza or city square for the coming summer months. On today, April 15th, a jury will select one of the 79 entries to build and install in time for Canada Day (July 1st for those not in the know).
Loose Affiliates’ Picnurbia, 2011’s winner
VIVA Vancouver, a subsidiary of the City responsible for public art programming, is the host of the competition, which was inaugurated in 2011. Local design collective Loose Affiliates were responsible for that year’s winning design; rolling orange turf-covered hills traversed by occasional flat walkways and umbrellas. Subsequent winners Pop-Ups and Pop Rocks and Corduroy Road were continued efforts to recast Robson as a site for gathering rather than circulation.
2012 Winner Pop-Ups and Pop Rocks
While only a single design will be realized, two additional submissions will receive honorable mention while online voting will decide the recipient of the people’s choice award. The winner will remain in place through the end of August. On April 3rd all of 2014’s entries were displayed in a public exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Last year’s winner, Corduroy Road