Soft Power, Hard Shapes: Public Installations and Sculptures in the Age of Spectacle

Adam Weir

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Speaker

Adam Weir

Adam Weir brings over 30 years of expertise in sculpture design and fabrication, shaping landscapes across Canada and the USA by assisting artists to see their vision realized without compromise. With an extensive understanding of materials and processes, he has played a pivotal role in completing hundreds of public sculpture projects, leaving a lasting artistic imprint.

As a co-owner of Carvel Creative, alongside Shane Hurl and Suzanne Doherty, Adam has helped build a powerhouse of design and fabrication talent. Together, they have assembled a team of unparalleled designers and fabricators, establishing Carvel Creative as Western Canada’s premier sculpture design and fabrication studio. Their collaborative approach seamlessly blends artistry and engineering, crafting striking sculptures that redefine public spaces.

Sans façon (Charles Blanc & Tristan Surtees)

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Speaker

Sans façon (Charles Blanc & Tristan Surtees)

Artists duo Sans façon (Charles Blanc & Tristan Surtees) began working together in 2001 in Glasgow, Scotland. Their diverse practice responds to the relationship between people and place. They work internationally on projects ranging from temporary performances and installations in public space, to large-scale permanent artworks, to collaborating with other subject matter experts on major infrastructure projects or developing and implementing city-wide strategies involving artists in discourse with a city. Most of their work tempts interaction with the surroundings and is developed in close collaboration with communities, organizations and individuals, which have included city councils, scholars, performers, composers, architects and engineers. At a municipal and provincial government level they have worked with agencies in the U.K., U.S., Germany, Norway and here in Canada. Sans façon is currently based in Calgary, Canada.

Ciara McKeown

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Speaker

Ciara McKeown

Ciara McKeown is the founder and co-lead of CMCK Public Art, a planning and commissioning agency for art in public space, with visual arts curator Diana Sherlock. She has worked as a public art consultant, curator, director, commissioner, and project manager with arts organizations, government agencies, private developers, and artists across Canada and the US for over 20 years. She works closely with artists to contextualize their art practices within the public realm, and is dedicated to furthering critical conversations about contemporary public art. She has had roles at Waterfront Toronto, The City of Calgary and Hamilton Public Art programs, and with artists Sans façon, among others.  She has been an Executive Board Member with Public Art Dialogue and co-organized Public Art: New Ways of Thinking and Working, an international symposium hosted by York University, the first gathering of its kind in Canada to encourage a critical cross-disciplinary examination of the field nationally and internationally. McKeown has lectured about public art at universities and arts organizations across Canada and has written for Alberta Views, Americans for the Arts, The Calgary Herald and the University of Calgary’s Institute for the Humanities.

Khalid Omokanye

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Moderator

Khalid Omokanye

Khalid Omokanye is a Calgary-based designer, artist, and educator whose interdisciplinary work spans architecture, sculpture, and performance art. He holds a Master of Architecture and a BA with minors in architecture, communication, and visual arts. His practice explores the relationship between form, material, and narrative, blending conceptual design with hands-on construction.

Omokanye teaches at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, where he focuses on narrative-driven design and physical making. His recent art projects include ISOLATED BABEL, a collaborative sculpture created during the COVID-19 pandemic for The Hibernation Project, Clean Ya Tracks, a mobile sculpture featured in IDLE WORSHIP 2022, which reflects on car culture and environmental impact, and Auto Fetish, a performance art piece created for IDLE WORSHIP 2025, reflecting on the pseudo sexual nature of car culture.

He is the founder and Managing Director of The Artist Lounge, a hybrid venue combining art exhibitions, cocktails, and conversation, located within the Ruberto Ostberg Gallery. His architectural work includes a range of residential and commercial projects throughout Calgary, often emphasizing cultural and community engagement. Omokanye has also completed an international residency at The Agency of Sculpture in Australia, contributing to large-scale fabrication projects. His evolving practice is grounded in experimentation, storytelling, and cross-disciplinary dialogue.