Is Here Gallery or Calgary? — When a City Becomes a Gallery in Calgary, Canada

Calgary is a place where trendy urban culture meets the natural backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. True to its nickname, “Cowtown,” it radiates the charm of the Wild West while also offering a taste of art and culture. Before setting off on an adventure into the Rockies, explore Calgary’s streets and look out for its colorful public art. You’ll see the city in a fresh way, through a local’s eyes.

Words & Photos Hur Taewoo

A Fairy-Tale Sculpture Gazing at Calgary, ‘Wonderland’

In the plaza in front of The Bow Tower, a landmark of downtown Calgary, a girl’s face, barely visible, gazes calmly at passersby. It is an installation by the world-renowned Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. Made of a steel wire structure and standing 12 meters tall, the sculpture fully displays the artist’s creativity. It takes on a slightly different look depending on the viewing angle and time of day, and you can step inside the face, whose eyes are closed, and look out at your surroundings with your own eyes. It feels as though you are imagining the city of Calgary from inside the girl’s head. Shoot the sculpture at an angle that contrasts with the downtown buildings, and you can capture a truly distinctive scene. At night, the reflected lights make it even more beautiful.

Alberta’s Dream, Where Nature and Humans Connect, ‘Alberta’s Dream’

In the middle of the city, a man sits hugging a tree. This is another work by Jaume Plensa, located to the north of The Bow Tower plaza. According to the artist, the man in the sculpture represents himself. Zoom in with your lens and you’ll notice that the names of various cities in the Canadian province of Alberta are carved all over his body. Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, is spelled out across his back, and Edmonton, the provincial capital, across his chest. It conveys the idea that Alberta’s cities can exist connected to one another, together with nature (the tree)—just like the title of the work, ‘Alberta’s Dream.’

Calgary’s Bridge of Peace, ‘Peace Bridge’

The Bow River, which originates from Bow Glacier in Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains, is Calgary’s lifeline. Early Western settlers established a trading post and a military stronghold where the Bow River and the Elbow River meet, and that was the beginning of Calgary. Today the banks of the Bow River have been reborn as a beloved place of rest for citizens. The Peace Bridge, about 130 meters long and spanning the Bow River, often becomes a subject for photographers thanks to its unusual appearance. Designed without piers to protect the river’s ecosystem, the bridge stretches out in a streamlined form and is painted red and white, the colors of the Canadian flag. Frame your shot from the start of the bridge, straight down the center, and you can create a scene like a geometric tunnel connecting to the city. Because it is a pedestrian-only bridge, shooting here carries little risk.

Streetlights Turned into a Flower, ‘Bloom’

St. Patrick’s Island, located where the Bow River and the Elbow River meet, is an urban park created through a large-scale redevelopment. With its trails, pebble beach, wildlife-viewing areas, and city viewpoints, it is a favorite spot for locals to stroll, run, or spend a weekend outing. One of the island’s most interesting sculptures is ‘Bloom,’ a work by Michel de Broin, an artist from Montreal, Canada. Made from recycled streetlights, the piece looks like the stamens of a flower or a dandelion seed head. This, too, can be said to represent Calgary, where city and nature coexist. From a spot where you can see the downtown buildings and ‘Bloom’ together, try capturing the cityscape reflected on the water’s surface. You’ll come away with a photo that brings out the artist’s intent.

Calgary offers plenty of other intriguing public art and architecture. There is the Calgary Tower, a city landmark with views all the way to the Rocky Mountains. There is ‘By the Banks of the Bow’ in front of City Hall, which commemorates the farming and ranching that form the foundation of Cowtown Calgary. And there is Studio Bell, a multipurpose cultural venue that brings together the history and present of Canadian music. Seek out these places to capture yet another side of Calgary.