News

The Procession 2

We are back in our studio to begin work on the figurative rod sculptures of The Procession. Through this exercise we will determine which is the best material to produce the rod sculptures during the next phase of the project.  For now, the work at hand is to fabricate 5 life size rod figures, using aluminum, steel, and rebar.

The selection criteria are based on:

– Weight
– Bendability
– Resistance
– Cost

The figures will travel during the third Phase of this project, which represents costs related to shipping, transportation, and storage of the figures, screens and multimedia related equipment.

Materials:

– Aluminum round rod 1/2”
– Steel round rod ½”
– Construction Rebar
– Muslin

Template for The Procession by Incipio Modo
The Procession by Incipio Modo
Materials for The Procession by Incipio Modo
The Procession by Incipio Modo
The Procession by Incipio Modo
The Procession preparation by Incipio Modo

Tools:

Aka universal bender

We bolted our industrial bender into the floor of our studio to begin testing rods of diverse materials.

The Procession by Incipio Modo
The Procession bending bars by Incipio Modo

Finished rod figure, prior to welding the sections together.

The Procession by Incipio Modo

Findings

– Aluminum breaks while bending, so it is not suitable for rod work in this project.
– We decided to work with a smaller steel round size. We are now using 3/8X36 steel round rods.

The Procession pipe bending by Incipio Modo
The Procession by Incipio Modo

The Procession

Edward Beltran and Danira Miralda

The Procession

Last year we lost a loved one to violence. As artists, we feel the need to respond to this with the strongest weapon we possess: Our Art. Art as a voice, as a healing force, as a manifestation of injustice.

The Procession is a sculptural installation that aims to denounce the systemic violence experienced by people in Mexico, and around the world by substituting the cold data behind statistics into a visual language that will connect the viewer to the reality of what those numbers really mean.

This project was born from the helplessness and outrage of losing a loved one to senseless violence. Through it we wish to heal, seek justice, and reclaim our voice.

Edward Beltran and Danira Miralda

 
 

Multidisciplinary Workshop for Kids

Multidisciplinary Workshop for Kids

(Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays)

We believe that in an ideal environment; with access to materials, tools and guidance, young artists are capable of materializing whatever their minds imagine.

This workshop is for kids who take ART very seriously.

Our workshops are ongoing, so kids can work at an individual pace and experience the different processes involved in artmaking. The weekly session is a moment where kids can unite with other like-minded creatives to talk about art and explore ideas, techniques, and materials. One project always leads to another, so the possibility of a continuous space where kids can develop their art skills naturally is at the core of how we work.

HOW?

If you give young artists the liberty of making projects of their choice, you guarantee their ongoing engagement and participation. A creative kid in a studio is fearless and has no boundaries as to what is possible or not.

With our guidance and suggestions, the young artist develops the required skills to see their project through to completion. The journey provides new skills and the possibility to explore new ways of working. Any creative process is met with challenges that require continuous development in problem-solving skills and the employment of the various techniques, materials, and tools in the studio.

 
 
$150 / month
1.5 hrs. / week

Homeschoolers are welcome.

Ode to a Squirrel

Ode to a Squirrel by Danira Miralda - Incipio Modo Calgary

I found a note I wrote six ½ years ago describing how I found the spine of a squirrel that I am now using as a model for a sculpture I am currently working on. The story now makes me chuckle because I remember feeling completely unprepared to answer my son’s questions regarding the topic of death. He was only 3 ½ years old.

Death is a universal reality that preoccupies every individual on earth, and our first confrontation to the idea of mortality surely shapes the way we understand and experience our time on this earth. It is, after all, a big piece of the basic knowledge that we pass down to our kids. Looking back now, I realize that death awareness must go hand in hand with a developed sense of self. At the time I felt unprepared for a well-crafted answer, but now I believe that one of the most fascinating and rewarding aspects of being a mother is the opportunity to rediscover the world and review my real views and opinions about it. Here is the note of the adventure that introduced my son to the idea of mortality.

2013

A little over a month ago, while taking the usual break to collect our 3 1/2-year-old son from Montessori, we came across a dead squirrel that had been run over by a car. Our son stopped, looked at it for a while, and asked what was wrong with it and why it was not moving and acting like squirrels do. I told him the squirrel had been run over and died, and what he was looking at was no longer the squirrel. “If the squirrel isn’t there anymore, then where is it?” I said it had gone to where the moon, the sun and the stars lived. He seemed uncertain, and perhaps this answer will do for a while.

He seems to be more appreciative of squirrels and cautions them to beware of cars.

A few days later, while passing the same spot, I noticed that an animal, perhaps a crow or a magpie, had been pecking at the squirrel and its entire spine lay intact next to it.

Bones have been central to my work for many years now, and finding a good specimen is not an easy task, so a finding such as this is invaluable. I went to the studio for some tweezers and a bag and returned to collect my discovery; to clean it, number it and store it under the name ‘ode to a squirrel.’

Ode to a Squirrel - Danira Miralda - Incipio Modo Calgary

The Old Poplar Tree

When we first moved to Calgary, we rented a tiny old house in Bowness. In front of the house stood a majestic, beautiful, poplar tree that turned an intense yellow in the autumn and illuminated our evenings with a golden hue. We were there for a short time only, but never forgot the big old tree we nicknamed "our light."

Some years later, we passed by our old house when two men were cutting the poplar tree down. It brought us to tears, but there was nothing we could do. Stretched out on the lawn, in sections, lay the old tree. I approached the man with the chainsaw to tell him about our connection to the tree and asked him for the largest lumber pieces to take to the studio and carve.

At the time, I was working on the idea of making Atlas and Axis, but I still did not know what medium or materials I would use. Yet, when I stacked the lumber pieces on top of each other, I suddenly envisioned Atlas and Axis inside. I carved Atlas & Axis from the tree's wood as an homage to the warm light and shade it provided us. Throughout the process, I have tried to keep the tree's character intact without altering its knots, cracks or variation of colour.