The Family of Man — Attraction in Calgary

The Family of Man was originally created for the British Pavilion at the 1967 Montreal Expo, part of an exhibit portraying British contributions to the world. After the Expo the collection of ten bronze statues was bought at auction by businessman Maxwell Cummings and subsequently donated to the city of Calgary. Since there were no directions regarding how the statues should be placed, the staff in charge of the installation decided to arrange them in a ring of seven surrounding a group of three, with some of the statues gently touching each other with outstretched hands. None of these relationships between the statues were present in their original installation at the Expo, so the current artwork represents an accidental collaboration between the sculptor and the unnamed municipal employees who positioned the statues. It is unknown if Spanish sculptor Mario Armengol was aware of the fate of his creations or how he felt about it, and it is far too late to ask as he died in 1995.

Even more than most artwork, this installation has no correct interpretation as the statues themselves are the creation of one man, and their arrangement is the work of other individuals who had no communication with the sculptor. I found them to be visually arresting due to their impressive height (more than six meters), their Giacometti-like distortion, and their conspicuous nudity. On closer inspection their tender gestures towards each other (the work of the installers, not the sculptor) amid the glowing sunset created a sense of warmth that belied the harsh...

These statues are marvelous. I couldn't stop looking at them, and I took few pictures. They resemble the Calgary's community diversity. You can see it's like a party for few people. Few of them dancing, and others watching, but everyone is the same. Every statue is the same size, colour and shape. This is Calgary's community, there are a lot of people, but every one deal with the other the same, whatever his or her shape, size or look. When you deal with every one the same, you will be a...

The Family of Man Sculpture is a fascinating installation with a unique design that feels both artistic and symbolic. The towering figures are striking and definitely worth seeing up close. However, the area around the sculptures could use more care and maintenance, as it felt a bit neglected and not as clean during my visit. With better upkeep, this spot would stand out even more as one of Calgary’s most interesting public...