One of things I really like about well thought out airports is that it is a great venue to showcase art, perhaps especially evocative of the region. I am not just referencing bronze statues of a famous person (looking at you, Johannesburg) but truly inspiring and beautiful art, which makes an otherwise trying task of lines, security and waiting much less so.
Vancouver really shines in this respect. A short walk around the concourse gave me a great selection of First Nations art, in a variety of media and presentations.
One of the MOST striking pieces is by Bill Reid, a world reknowed Haida artist whose piece The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe is a very large cast iron with jade patina piece near the entrance. Originally created in 1986 for the Canadian embassy in Washington DC, and on display in 1991. This one is a second (and final) casting consigned by the airport in 1993. It bears no less than 13 supernatural creatures, each related to Haida’s mythical past. This piece depicts the story of a time in the past when disaster struck Haida Gwaii and very few humans and even supernatural beings survived and were driven from their rock bound homes.
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