Crown of Fire, Arcana Shanks, 2023.

Alberta birch wood, aircraft cable, voice and sound, 22 feet by 14 feet.

Photo credits to Emma Grant.

Supported by the Edmonton Arts Council and the City of Edmonton.

Comprised of 20 suspended columns, each 4 metres tall and lined with charred Alberta birch wood, and a soundscape composed from distorted voices and site recordings, Crown of Fire manifests the 731, 634 hectares ravaged in the 2011 Alberta wildfire season. Viewers of the installation were able to walk through the skeletal forest to touch the scorched columns, smell the sweet scent of birch smoke, listen to the haunting echoes, watch the light glint across the sculptures, and immerse themselves into this alien landscape.