Have you ever wondered how “This Beautiful Day” ties in with the community of Squamish? Maybe while enjoying some delicious eats at the Copper Coil you have seen it all lit up at night, in its home on the Blind Channel. “This Beautiful Day” is an art instalment by Kristin McIver, recipient of the Vancouver Biennale International Residency. It does have a strong Squamish connection.
Her piece brings text and language together: “My art practice is predominantly text based, so for the Vancouver Biennale Residency project I wanted to create an artwork which deals with the endangered languages of First Nations communities, while highlighting the staggering natural beauty of this environment North of Vancouver.” In this video she highlights her time spent with the Squamish First Nations and her inspirations for creating “This Beautiful Day.”
“This Beautiful Day” is not only a sign on the backdrop of The Chief. It is also a soundscape of the natural environment around Squamish. Here is the video piece to accompany This Beautiful Day, a recording of the natural surroundings and the pronunciation of ‘Halth skwile, te-staas!’, a translation of This Beautiful Day into the Squamish Nation language.