Winter Wonders

Over the Family Day long weekend I took a trip to visit a couple of my high school friends in Ottawa. As it turns out, it was one of the three weekends of the Winterlude festival.

On our first afternoon we visited the festival to see what it had to offer. Upon arrival the festive atmosphere was amazing; everyone was excited and happy to be there. The first area we went to had an interactive Native dance. Leaders were dressed in intricate Native clothing, and invited the audience to join in. After the dance was finished we toured around and looked at all of the different sculptures.

The ice sculptures surprised me in a way, while sculptures traditionally depict mythical creatures, this year’s offered a modern twist. Instead of a sea monster, one contestant sculpted a Transformer. I found it funny that in a way, Transformers are mythical creatures too. It is interesting to see how different people interpret the same task. This happens in school all the time, while we are all given the same design brief/project sheet, we all come up with different solutions.

On our second afternoon we visited The National Gallery of Canada. After being greeted by Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture “Maman”, we entered the gallery. Without any knowledge of the different exhibits on display, it was suggested that we visit the Hoffos exhibit on its last day. I was blown away by David Hoffos’ work; he incorporates dioramas with video holograms. As we peeked through each window a different world was on display; the detail and thought put into each piece showed Hoffos’ dedication to his work.

While Hoffos was the highlight of my visit I also enjoyed many of the installation pieces on display. Some of my favourites include: a four foot metal sculpture made of fine metal chains and clear beads, two sculptures covered completely in dice and a piece depicting a photo that changed size depending on your distance due to magnifying lenses.

After a great weekend in Ottawa, it makes me wonder if there is more to discover in the Kitchener/Waterloo area. While the attractions may not be as impressive, they would certainly offer something new to discover.