Ice Breakers 2019

Hello!
Apologies for not making an entry for so long. Looking back, I see that it's been since last fall that I posted anything.
So, Happy 2019, everyone, and at a couple of months into the year, let's get started with some winter attractions that come up every year in this great city.

First, the Ice Breakers exhibit along Queen's Quay...

This first piece is called Connector. It is a mass of orange tubes that collect on either side of this white disc, resembling nothing so much as a junction in a network of telephone or computer cables.

I liked how the artist left the many terminals on either side open. Do they connect to nothing? Do they connect to you, the viewer? Are you tempted to look into them, to blow into them? Why not?

The next piece is Tripix, so named because of its overall tripedal structure.
Remarkable-enough looking from the outside, stepping under the arches is where the real fun begins...

...because, under each of the triangular sections of the "legs" is a collection of angled mirrors that reflect the surroundings in startling ways, including one of yourself! Can you see me with my grey hooded coat and blue camera (almost centre of pic)?

Another section of the sculpture has a similar effect.
You can also see my right arm and blue camera, just below centre left. The fact that I was standing directly underneath that section gives an idea of the slightly disorienting nature of the piece!

I wasn't able to find the name of this next piece, but it may be Stellar Spectra. Don't quote me on that, but it kind of makes sense; from the outside, it's an interesting, though rather unremarkable, grouping of white tubes. But when you step inside...

BOOM! This stunning array (spectrum?) of coloured openings really hits you.

About 30 feet on, there is another one, and the effect inside...

 ...is equally spectacular. Thankfully, it was a pretty sunny day, so the colours really stood out.
What a beautiful piece of work!

The next piece is called Tweeta-Gate. The artist encourages the viewer to take as many pics as they like, and post them to social media.
The nice lady in the pic is Laura, who had just finished getting her adorable little poodle to pose under the first arch. You never know who you'll meet at these places!

On one side of each arch was a tiny bell like this one. It did give a charming little tinkle if you tapped it - which I did, of course!

The artist included as many shapes as possible in the piece, so there's Roman and Gothic arches; circular and square shapes; and "house" and "stair" shapes as well - all representing an entrance, or "gate" of some kind.

The possibilities for pictures were manifold, so I thought I'd try an "artistic" shot from outside the circular frame. The "house" shape intersects nicely here with the square opening, and matches the angle of the stair shape as well.

And, here's the view of the entire piece, looking in the opposite direction, north towards Queen's Quay.

I might have stayed longer here, but the solid ice everywhere made for pretty tricky walking!

The final piece is called Chroma Key Protest. It is a series of wooden buoys set in the harbour, with green chroma-key (yep, the colour they use in green-screen effects in the movies) rectangles on long poles.

The artist also thought they looked similar to a group of protesters holding placards and signs - hence, the second part of the title.

And, that was it for the Ice Breakers exhibit!

There was a restaurant right next to this piece called Loch and Quay (cute!), where I enjoyed a dinner of butter chicken poutine - only in Canada!
It was getting dark when I finished, so it was off to my next destination, which will be the next posting...