Ingrid Koivukangas
Environmental Artist

Responding to sites around the world through works created in site specific installation, intervention, ephemeral sculpture, video, sound, web, permanent site-specific sculpture, photography, printmaking,painting & drawing.

Welcoming opportunities to work in different geographic regions & locations in the world, creating site-specific works in response to the land.

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As Above, So Below
Invited to create site specific work for the entrance to the video conference room for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. University of Toronto, Earth Sciences Building, May 2002

While I was at the University of Toronto for the ESAC Conference in May 2002, I was invited to create new site specific work for the entrance area to the space where the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC), the Canadian WSSD Secretariat and the Institute for Environmental Studies were compiling video for the Canadian delegation to present at the World Summit in South Africa later in 2002.

I had two days and a choice of a few spaces inside the Earth Sciences Building for an installation. I decided on the actual entrance area to the conference room rather than the larger main entry way. This was an intimate space and allowed the video conference attendees to study the natural materials collected in a more intimate manner. I was thinking of the micro as a reflection of the macro and as above, so below. Canadians had been invited to attend the conference and send their remarks, reflections and ideas to the World Summit via video...a micro of the macro.

There are a couple of outer courtyards in the area that are an easy walk from the Earth Sciences Building. I collected natural materials from these spaces. Above: clippings from trees and below: seeds from the ground. These were then suspended within the window frames of the conference room corresponding to the idea of above and below. A magnifing glass was provided, inviting closer inspection.

As Above, So Below Video Clip