5 – CHRISTOPHER VARADY-SZABO
GRASSY KNOLL
With Grassy Knoll, the artist invites us to take a leisurely walk around a grass-covered hillock. The work is a form of landscape with simple elements, a kind of organic minimalism. Created in situ, his new piece is integrated into its host environment thanks to an interesting visual illusion that makes this imposing mound seem to float above the Stewart Park lawn – in spite of its weight and dimensions. By referencing the miraculous and the hope of seeing the achievement of something impossible, the latent poetry of this work leads the visitor along the roads of reflection and contemplation.
Materials: Lumber, organic materials (peat, plants, soil), hardware.
Creative Process
Exploring the concept of habitat and architectural systems, Christopher Varady-Szabo creates ephemeral installations with the aim of revealing the relationship between the individuals and the environment. Varady-Szabo attaches a great deal of importance to the creative process, design, materiality and spatialization. He develops his projects on a human scale with the intention of offering spectators (who are also participants) a glimpse of the power they can exercise over their own environment. By adhering to an esthetic that is close to nature, evoking “life” as its highest form of expression and demonstrating our environmental instability, Varady-Szabo compels us to reflect on the precarious nature of our planet.
The Artist
A native of Sydney, Australia, Christopher Varady-Szabo chose Canada as his home more than 30 years ago and now divides his time between the Gaspé Peninsula and Gatineau. He holds a B.A. in Plastic Arts from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) and an M.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa.
