PAGE 10 • FEBRUARY 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
BEAT
RoseAnna Schick. RAS Creative
Each winter in Winnipeg, The Forks
launches a warming hut competition, inviting
architects from around the world to submit
proposals for unique warming huts. Six
designs were chosen this year from more
than 160 entries from around the globe, and
were recently unveiled along the river trail.
Two of the huts are American creations, one
from Russia, and two from the students and
staff at University of Manitoba's architecture
program. The sixth installation comes from
Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq, who was
invited to participate as an artist.
"This year, we wanted to highlight the
diversity that the artists can bring," said
Paul Jordan, CEO of The Forks Renewal
Corporation. "It's an honour to have Tanya
Tagaq bring her artistic talent and vision to
our Warming Huts."
Tagaq's installation, named 'In the Light of
the Kudluk', was designed in collaboration
with Sputnik Architecture. It explores
the storytelling tradition of the people of
Canada's north and uses art to help define
those traditions.
It consists of a storytelling shelter formed
with snow piled against a rusted steel shell.
The steel will eventually be removed when the
snow is hard enough to support itself, leaving
just a snow form behind. The four sides face
four directions – north, east, south, and west.
They represent four animals – muskox, raven,
lemming, and wolf. They also represent four
stages of life – infant, youth, adult, elder.
When spring arrives, the shelter will melt into
the river, leaving no trace of its existence.
You can see all the warming huts along
with other stunning ice and snow creations
down at The Forks, available now until
spring melt.
Tanya Tagaq
