In a dark passageway linking a shopping mall, office buildings, and the street, piles of garbage bags obstructed pedestrian traffic. The dystopian vision of numerous abandoned bags could indicate the failure of surrounding businesses, a garbage strike, and workplace strife, rendering the financial district an urban dumping ground. Yet, amidst this archetypal scene of loneliness and desolation, enigmatic signs of life emanated from the piles-the bags appeared to be breathing. As viewers meandered through the alleyway, Marcia Huyer’s pneumatic sculpture seemed uncannily sentient. The irregular and somewhat laboured breathing pattern, however, hinted that while an economic recovery may be possible, it was far from certain.
Jennifer Fisher and Jim Drobnick
( Sited from Text Civic Spectacle: Public 45 )
Wasted Breath was an Open Call Project for the 2009 Scotia bank Nuit Blanche.