Vancouver Icons: Freezing Water #7

Many come up with their own names for public art around Vancouver. There’s the rib cage, the ‘are those supposed to be there?’ chairs, and the frame. Despite not knowing the formal names for these pieces, each is greatly appreciated, enjoyed, and widely photographed. This week’s Vancouver Icon photo feature is of ‘the mercury squiggle’ or ‘the water blob’ in Vanier Park, officially called Freezing Water #7.

Photo credit: Steven Ballegeer on Flickr

The beautifully fluid design makes this 7-ton stainless steel sculpture look light and graceful in its frozen movement.

Ren Jun made his North American debut with this elegant, amorphic stainless steel sculpture Freezing Water #7 at the Vancouver Biennale 2009-2011. The sculpture is located in Vancouver’s waterfront Vanier Park. Cast in stainless steel, the artist reveals his mastery of material, volume and engineering to create a monumental public installation as fluid as a bird in flight. This sculpture captures the artist’s inspiration of spilt water as it puddles and morphs into mercury-like shapes.

Photo credit: Larissa Sayer on Flickr

Photo credit: Gail Edwin Aguiar & roaming-the-planet on Flickr

Photo credit: Dan Fairchild & Alastair Smith on Flickr

Photo credit: TOTORORO.RORO on Flickr

Photo credit: Jonathan Pope & Gail Edwin Aguiar on Flickr

Photo credit: Mike Heller on Flickr

Photo credit: Thomas Chung & Miss Barabanov on Flickr

Photo credit: Jonathan Pope on Flickr

Previous Vancouver Icons posts: Cleveland Dam, Heritage Hall, School of Theology Building at UBC, Gate to the Northwest Passage, St Paul’s Hospital, Capilano Lake, Stawamus Chief, Nine O’Clock Gun, Malkin Bowl, Search, Vancouver Rowing Club, Echoes, Point Atkinson Lighthouse, English Bay Inukshuk, Hollow Tree, Hotel Europe, Lions Gate Bridge Lions, LightShed, Granville Bridge, 217.5 Arc x 13′, Canoe Bridge, Vancouver Block, Bloedel Conservatory, Centennial Rocket, Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.