Photo: Ruben P Bescos
Many sculptures draw inspiration from the site where they’ll be exhibited. ORB, created by Spanish artist SpY, was originally placed in front of the pyramids of Giza, where it reflected the vastness of the desert. Now, the massive and mysterious piece has been installed at a completely different location—the Place des Arts in Montreal, Canada. Even though it now sits in an entirely different environment, the sweeping work glimmers and engages spectators, cementing the true universal power of its message.
Originally, ORB was meant to establish a harmonious dialogue between two worlds—the ancient and the contemporary. The feat was to be achieved through the sculpture’s mix of “formal simplicity with a deep symbolic charge,” as described by its creator. Now, at its new home, ORB has a revamped yet more beautiful mission, reflecting the glittering Montreal skyline and becoming one with it.
“At its core, ORB reinterprets an everyday object—the convex traffic mirror—by transforming it into an artistic element,” explains the artist. “Multiplied and arranged in a unique spherical pattern, this familiar and often overlooked urban component takes on a new life as part of a work that surprises and fascinates the viewer.”
By reflecting fragments of the environment and those who observe it, ORB’s surface is what makes it come alive. Given its reflective surface, the sculpture appears to evolve with the people that pass by and stare at it, as well as with the passing of time from day to night. “This continuous interaction creates a dynamic experience that invites a profound reflection on the relationship between art, urban space, and its inhabitants,” SpY explains.
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ORB is a new sculpture found at the Place des Arts in Montreal, Canada.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
It was originally meant to be placed in front of the pyramids of Giza.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
However, a change in location still allows the sweeping work to glimmer and engage spectators, cementing the true universal power of its message.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
At its new home, ORB has a revamped yet more beautiful mission, reflecting the glittering Montreal skyline and becoming one with it.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
“At its core, ORB reinterprets an everyday object—the convex traffic mirror—by transforming it into an artistic element,” explains the artist.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
Given its reflective surface, the sculpture appears to evolve with the people that pass by and stare at it, and with the passing of time from day to night.
Photo: Ruben P Bescos
“This continuous interaction creates a dynamic experience that invites a profound reflection on the relationship between art, urban space, and its inhabitants.”
Photo: Ruben P Bescos