The Device To Root Out Evil has finished its work and is moving on to Calgary
I used to walk past the Device To Root Out Evil everyday going between the Skytrain station and my apartment without ever really thinking about it. I liked it well enough, though not into art I always found it pretty cool looking and it was a nice way to break up the monotony of the West End’s new condo development.
Sadly it broke up the monotony too well, as some apartment owners complained that it was blocking their view of the floating gas station in the bay and Hell hath no fury like a bunch of no nothings with a petition to frighten the city government with.
Bought from Stanford University for three hundred thousand dollars after the university commissioned its creation by American artist Dennis Oppenheim and then rejected it for being too controversial since it is an upside down church. Ironically the only controversy in Vancouver was about housing prices affected by it.
The sculpture is off to Calgary. Yup, we’re now officially less open minded and more money obsessed than Calgary. Way to go Vancouver.
Further reading on the Device To Root Out Evil:
so sad
it’s annoying that people in Vancouver get so uptight about beautiful art
I will not be alone in missing the upside down eye candy
It was actually really beautiful, which is almost unusual for public art which tends to be watered down and boring.