Here’s how this spindly sculpture was created for Calgary’s ‘Poetic Park’

A spindly, spider-like sculpture is one of the surprising features of this inner-city Calgary park.

In fact, there are two of them. These larger-than-life insects were sculpted by Incipio Modo, an artist team composed of Calgary sculptors, Danira Miralda and Edward Beltran.

They stand like something from a sci-fi flick, set against the backdrop of downtown Calgary in Poetic Park Plaza. This urban oasis is a small but peaceful haven where Calgarians can enjoy lunch or read a book.

Aware only of their ascension, these insects walk in a straight line — one behind the other toward the summit. The city is in constant movement around them, and you can even catch a glimpse of the sculptures while riding the CTrain.

Here’s how these fascinating creatures were cultivated by local artists, and where you can find them in Calgary.

Towering insects

This public work of art is called “Ascension” and was created by Danira Miralda and Edward Beltran in 2012.

They are a permanent feature of Poetic Park Plaza, located at 4th Ave. and 9th St. in downtown Calgary, which was redeveloped into a public park space from a gravel surface in 2013.

The goal of the project was to transform an empty liminal space into something that enriches the lives of the public. Poetic Park is an urban plaza with a unique identity and sense of place, one that lives in conversation with the hustle and bustle of the city around it.

Buddhist principles

These works of public art are only a hop, skip and a jump from the 7th St. CTrain station. Although the park is only 50 feet by 100 feet, the insects dominate the landscape, towering over the plaza as guardians of the space.

The work actively reflects Buddhist principles, paying homage to the nearby Avatamsaka Monastery. They evoke ascension, direction, steadfastness, shared passage and the value of life at every level.

The insects create an almost Alice-in-Wonderland effect for visitors looking up at them from the ground. Spindly legs and sharp lines make them somewhat uncanny, like something from an Isaac Asimov novel.

If you’ve passed by Poetic Park Plaza and are wondering where these towering insects came from, now you have the answer. They didn’t step off a spaceship, but they sure are impressive to local residents.

Poetic Park

Where: 4th Avenue and 9th Street SW

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