The Shadow
https://facilities.ubc.ca/projects/projects-on-campus/completed-projects/the-shadow/
In The Shadow, artist Esther Shalev-Gerz embeds a ghostly shadow of a first-growth Douglas fir tree across the expanse of University Commons Plaza, which is situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Pixilated through the use of differing shades of grey paving stones, The Shadow engages pedestrians through its varied tone underfoot and horizontal perspective. The Shadow invites us to consider the scale of the trees that once existed on this site. It establishes a dialogue between presence and absence, culture and nature, past, present and potential future.
(Oct 5, 2018) The inauguration of The Shadow: controversial art piece is formally recognized
https://ubyssey.ca/culture/inauguration-of-the-shadow/
- The installation uses paving stones in various shades of grey to depict the shadow of a Douglas fir tree which spans across the plaza. The project raised concerns in 2017 partly due to the price tag (now estimated to cost approximately $400,000), as well as for the disruption it caused on campus during construction.
