Meet the Artist: Sanaz Mazinani - Warehouse Park Public Art Project

As Edmonton’s newest Downtown green space begins to take shape, we are excited to announce that an artist has been selected for the Warehouse Park public art project. Warehouse Park, located at 106 Street Jasper Avenue to 102 Avenue, is envisioned as an urban oasis and an inclusive, multi-use green space featuring large, open areas that invite citizens and visitors to reflect and explore. 

Working alongside the planning and development team for Warehouse Park will be artist Sanaz Mazinani. Sanaz Mazinani (Sānāz Mazināni) (she/​her) is an artist, educator, and curator based in Toronto. Working across the disciplines of photography, sculpture, and large-scale multimedia installations, Mazinani creates informational objects that invite a rethinking of how we see, suspending the viewer between observation and knowledge. Informed by the visual rhetoric and confounding presence of contemporary media circulation, her multidisciplinary practice aims to politicize the proliferation and distribution of images, invite critical reflection, and forefront social justice and environmental movements.

“I was thrilled to see a new park being created within this amazing neighbourhood,” says Mazinani. ​“I mean, how often do you get a chance to convert a parking lot into a park! This is a very exciting and ambitious project, and I was moved to learn that I could contribute towards building this remarkable park.”

The project also offers a unique opportunity for the artist, as Mazinani will be included in the project at an early stage of park design planning and development. ​“Working with the project team from the start will allow me to integrate the needs of the community into the conceptual framework for the piece. As an artist I have many exciting ideas, but each artwork needs to be specific to the specific site and community. And this long-term engagement makes that possible.”

Edmontonians will also have the opportunity to be involved in the public art process through public engagement with the artist. ​“I hope that the community engagement process will allow me to understand more about what the neighbourhood wants from a public artwork,” explains Mazinani. ​“For example, is there an interest in a single piece that looks majestic and beautiful, or an artwork that activates the park, through sound or movement in some way?” 

Want to have your say in the design of Warehouse Park? Citizens are encouraged to take part in the City of Edmonton’s public engagement running from May 2 – 22, 2022. Starting on May 2, the project web page (edmon​ton​.ca/​W​a​r​e​h​o​u​s​ePark) will be updated to include design concepts, a survey, and other related materials. In particular, the survey contains several specific questions Mazinani will be using to guide her work, in addition to the other survey questions which will help to guide many of the concepts of the park. You can find out more about the engagement process on the City of Edmonton website.