BALANCE has been installed at CF Richmond!
...with impeccable fabrication & installation by Area 58
Inspired by the connection between land and water here with the Fraser River.
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Created using bathymetric data provided by SFU's River Dynamics Lab and transformed into 268 vertical bands.
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BALANCE, CF Richmond Centre, Richmond, Rebecca Bayer, 2025 *** BALANCE invites viewers to stand between the Fraser River’s North and South arms on Lulu Island, Richmond, British Columbia — a site shaped by the dynamic relationship between land and water. Drawing on bathymetric data provided by scientists from Simon Fraser University’s River Dynamics Laboratory, which studies the shifting dynamics of salmon habitats and riverbeds, the artwork transforms sonar readings into 268 vertical aluminum bands. These riverbed cross-sections were reflected upon themselves, producing an abstract, symmetrical pattern that, while grounded in the Fraser River’s form, also evokes other ephemeral forces: sound waves, ripples, air currents, and the often unseen or fleeting movements within nature’s balance. As visitors move through the space, Balance shifts in appearance depending on the weather, the light, the time of day, and the viewer’s position. It offers a layered experience — a living dialogue between the physical landscape and human presence — inviting reflection on how we exist within, and are shaped by, the material, geological, and environmental realities beneath our feet. This delicate interplay highlights not only the river’s hidden contours but also the fragile complexity of the ecosystems we inhabit. *** plaque text: BALANCE invites viewers to stand between the Fraser River’s North and South arms on Lulu Island, Richmond—a place shaped by land and water. Using bathymetric data from SFU’s River Dynamics Lab, underwater measurements were transformed into 268 vertical aluminum bands. These mirrored riverbed cross-sections form a shifting, symmetrical pattern that evokes ripples, sound waves, and movement—inviting reflection on our relationship to the layered ecosystems quietly flowing around and beneath us. Fabrication and installation by Area 58 Project managed by public art consultants Ballard Fine Art Commissioned by Cadillac Fairview and Shape Properties Map |