Some of Toronto’s most famous geese have returned home to settle in the rafters of the Eaton Centre once more.
Flight Stop, the famous art installation featuring, yes, a flock of geese, will be back in the ceiling of the downtown shopping centre as of today.
The work of acclaimed late artist Michael Snow, the Flight Stop installation has been on display at the Eaton Centre since 1979. It was removed as part of mall owner Cadillac Fairview’s plans to revitalise the mall, which included the centre’s galleria skylight roof directly above Flight Stop. The opportunity was taken to not only temporarily remove the art installation by to have it professionally restored.
Every individual goose is composed of Styrofoam that is coated with fiberglass, and then wrapped with a casing made from pictures captured from a lone goose.
Snow is a Toronto artist who graduated from the Ontario College of Art. He employed various media, such as film, installation, sculpture, photography, and music. The artist is most recognized for their films, Wavelength (1967) and La Région Centrale (1971), with the former being considered a significant achievement in avant-garde cinema. He died earlier this year at the age of 94.
“Flight Stop is a masterful landmark that is not only synonymous with CF Toronto Eaton Centre, but also the City of Toronto’s heritage for nearly 45 years,” said David Stewart, a senior director at Cadillac Fairview. “As we continue to evolve the shopping centre, we’re proud to restore and reinstate such an important cultural display that is cherished by both our local community and the millions of visitors that come to the centre each year.”
According to Cadillac Fairview, the South section of the roof is now complete. Phase two of the redevelopment is highlighted by roof enhancements above the North Court as well as improvements to elevators and the addition of three new staircases, expected to be completed in 2024.
Today, the reinstallation of Flight Stop will be revealed.
