Calgary Sculpture on the Austrian Alps

Date: Oct 24, 2022

A Drink or Two a sculpture by Vahe Tokmajyan

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A scene from a bar brought to life through a sculptural composition, by Vahe Tokmajyan, invoked excitement for the tourists taking the gondola up to the Schonjochbahn station, located at the very top of the ski resort in the Austrian Alps.

This year Canadian-Armenian sculptor, Vahe Tokmajyan, was invited to participate at an International sculpture symposium Art on the mountains held in Austria, at the Serfaus, Fiss, Ladis ski resort. His project A Drink or Two was one of the 15 selected worldwide to be created during a 20-day symposium.

The site of the symposium was at the height of 2450m, on top of the Austrian Alps, and was accessible only by gondolas or service buses. Fifteen artists from different countries worked side-by-side during the symposium. Large logs of wood and chunks of stone were used as the medium for the sculptures.

Vahe's project A Drink or Two represented a scene at a bar, with two figures: a seated figure enjoying a drink and a standing figure of a waiter offering another. For his composition, Vahe used two large logs of wood approximately 240 cm tall, which he carved into the figures.

The juxtaposition of both figures, their gestures, and contours, created a composition with inner dialogue between the two characters. The colours used gave an additional accent to the details and a unique expression to the sculpture.

The composition was placed on a Sculpture walkway, it currently resides where the snow covered alps and the mystic clouds come together as a backdrop for viewers to enjoy.