Cosmos (I am as constant as the northern star)’s tile mosaic mural represents the night sky, as seen on the proposed day the construction of the building was set to begin and end. Not unlike a traditional cornerstone, this rendering of the stars in tile work is set in a prominent location on the outside of the building, inscribing the construction dates of the building and commemorating the time the building was built. It uses the latitude and longitude of the building to determine the position of the stars on the day construction was set to begin.

Polaris was inspired, in part, by how people orient themselves in time and space and the cosmologies connected to that endeavor. Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor and is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star. Because Polaris lies nearly in a direct line with the axis of the Earth’s rotation “above” the North Pole – the north celestial pole – Polaris stands almost motionless in the sky, and all the stars of the northern sky appear to rotate around it. Therefore, it makes an excellent fixed point from which to draw measurements for celestial navigation.

The design of the mural is informed by the renewed interest in navigating by the stars. As one of the brighter stars close to the celestial pole, Polaris was used for navigation at least from late antiquity, and described as aei phanes “always visible” by Stobaeus (5th century). Knowing where you are in the world is fundamental to knowing who you are. The placement of the mosaic at ground level and the representational nature of the imagery will place the stars within our reach and will allow the public to locate themselves in time and space.

Often described as a second-generation Vancouver conceptualist, Myfanwy MacLeod (1961, Canadian) has a longstanding interest in the issues surrounding art in public spaces. Offering a feminist critique of the way public space creates imbalances of power, her work combines popular imagery with conceptual rigor.

MacLeod is the recipient of numerous awards including La Napoule Artist-in-Residence program (2022), the City of Vancouver’s Mayor’s Award (2013), The Glenfiddich Distillery Artist-in-Residence program (2005), the City of Vancouver’s Live/Work Studio Residency (2003-2005), the Canada Council for the Arts Paris Studio (1999), the Doris and Jack Shadbolt Foundation VIVA Award (1999) and La Fondation Andre Piolat (1994).