The monkeys came back! Paul Robles invited you to see, hear, and speak again. Visitors wandered through Stephen Juba Park and wondered: where did these monkeys come from? Why were they building pyramids? Why were their hands red? Do you see a ghost? Did it call to you? The inflatable artwork was presented in partnership with the Exchange District BIZ for Downtown Culture Days on October 6 & 7, 2022, inviting everyone to gather, engage, and play!
A barrel full of monkeys is popping up in Old Market Square… Don’t miss out or you’ll get caught red-handed!
People walked, rode or rolled through the Exchange where inflatables by local artist Paul Robles lit up Old Market Square. The curved forms led visitors along a winding snake-like path, raising questions: why were monkeys building pyramids in the Exchange? Why were their hands red? Were they ghosts of a pre-pandemic social scene?
See Hear Speak was conceived of during the pandemic and aimed to disrupt the quiet of a once thriving gathering place. It was an oddity calling for attention, conjuring a magnetic contradiction that highlighted and denied the human experience of contact, folly, and closeness. The playful forms, layered with monkeys and meaning, suggested team bonding exercises, sporty cheer(leaders), religious divination, and even fraternity hazing. Echoing society’s current unease, the title invoked the proverb of the Three Wise Monkeys, hinting at how the threat of isolation and despair can lead to compulsive diversion.
The temporary inflatables were commissioned by the Winnipeg Arts Council through Winnipeg’s Public Art Program with support from the Winnipeg Foundation. They were installed September 24 – October 3 in Old Market Square, complementing Culture Days Manitoba, Nuit Blanche Winnipeg and their month-long Illuminate the Night Programming.
Thanks to TallMan for their creative collaboration with the artist and to True North Sports and Entertainment for the loan of production supplies.
In the media:
- The Uniter, posted October 1, 2021: Reimagining Nuit Blanche
- CTVNewsWinnipeg, posted September 25, 2021: Nuit Blanche back with inflatable display
- Winnipeg Free Press, posted September 23, 2021: Into the night and beyond, Nuit Blanche extends reach as artists light up the city
