OTTAWA, Tuesday, March 31, 2026 — The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) announces
today the commission of a major new sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Alicja Kwade,
which will debut on the Lassonde Art Trail (LAT). The trail is to open in the summer of 2026, but unfortunately for Ottawans LAT is a visionary new public art destination in Toronto at Biidaasige Park. Marking the artist’s largest and most ambitious work to date, the sculpture will be installed on the Trail in May 2027.
This landmark partnership reflects the NGC’s commitment to expanding public access to art
across the country and is part of its growing National Engagement initiative which aims to bring
artworks from its collection, along with newly commissioned pieces, into everyday public life.
Born in Poland and based in Berlin, Alicja Kwade is recognized for her sculptures and
installations that use simple materials in surprising ways, encouraging viewers to rethink their
ideas of time, space and reality. In recent years, she has become known for her outdoor public
artworks, including her 2019 rooftop installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
This unique work on Toronto’s waterfront allows Kwade to extend her practice into a new
geographic and cultural context through a major public commission.
The new sculpture will include locally sourced granite from the Canadian Shield. Fabrication will
partly take place in the Greater Toronto Area, reinforcing the project’s connection to local
materials, craftsmanship, and place. The commission, a defining presence along LAT, allows the
NGC to explore new approaches to commissioning, ensuring that contemporary artists can
create bold and community-focused projects at a scale rarely possible in a traditional museum
environment.
“Toronto was the first major city on the continent I experienced and it left a lasting impression on me. I perceive it as a city with a strong proximity to nature, to water and to green spaces, while at the same time being clearly constructed, conceived and rising vertically,” said artist Alicja Kwade. “I find it essential that art in public space is truly accessible to everyone, that people can encounter it unexpectedly, even stumble upon it, and are invited to engage with it. This work has been a long‐held wish for many years and I am incredibly happy to see it materialize in dialogue with this public space.”
Photo: Courtesy of Doro Zinn
The commission deepens the NGC’s partnership with LAT, whose launch program was
announced in October 2025 and includes the loan of a sculpture by British artist Tracey Emin
from the Gallery’s collection. This early collaboration between the NGC and LAT signalled a
shared commitment to expanding access to art in public spaces.
It also reflects the NGC’s commitment to supporting women artists, including artists from
Eastern Europe, and to making its collection and contemporary art more accessible in new and
dynamic ways. This commission joins a growing list of National Engagement initiatives across
the country, including recent projects with artists Sylvie Tourangeau at La Manif d’art (Quebec
City, QC), Joan Jonas in We come from the sea (Cape Breton, NS), Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s
The Ship of Tolerance (Oakville, ON), Sharon Lockhart’s WINDWARD (Fogo Island, NL and
Banff, AB), and Ai Weiwei’s Forever Bicycles at The Forks (Winnipeg, MB).
“This project embodies our mission to share art widely and meaningfully across the country,
including beyond our institutional walls,” said Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO of the
NGC. “Alicja Kwade’s monumental sculpture highlights what can be achieved when institutions
collaborate to expand access to art. We are proud to play a role in shaping a public space that
will welcome millions of Canadians and visitors each year.”
“We are thrilled that LAT will be the debut location for a truly significant sculpture by a
world-renowned artist that is both responsive to the Art Trail site and exemplary of the NGC’s
vision to further National Engagement,” said Julie Lassonde, Chair of the Board at LAT. “We
value partnerships that encourage ambitious, dynamic art programming and establish Canada
as a global cultural leader.”
Launching in summer 2026, LAT consists of 15 interconnected public art sites offering a
program of permanent and rotating installations by leading Canadian, Indigenous, and
international artists. Situated within a new 60-acre waterfront park system on Toronto’s Port
Lands, the Trail is part of a $1.4 billion urban redevelopment project led by Waterfront Toronto in
partnership with the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada.
As a national project designed to be open year-round and free to the public, LAT is envisioned
as a cultural destination for visitors from across Canada and beyond. The addition of Kwade’s
monumental sculpture underscores LAT’s dedication to co-commissioning innovative,
large-scale artworks that resonate with a broad public and reflect diverse perspectives.
The National Gallery of Canada’s National Engagement initiative is generously supported by
Michael Nesbitt, with additional funding from the National Gallery of Canada Foundation.
The Lassonde Art Trail Foundation is grateful for the support of Frances and Tim Price to realize
this partnership project and its integration on the Art Trail.
lead photo Alicja Kwade. Photo: Courtesy of Doro Zinn
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