Ernest Daetwyler’s The Boat Project/everythingwillbefine sails home to McMaster campus
May 30, 2022
On May 28, Ernest Daetwyler’s The Boat Project/everythingwillbefine sailed to its new permanent home on McMaster University campus!
Originally commissioned by the M(M)A in 2018 for the museum’s artist garden, Daetwyler transformed pieces of scavenged driftwood collected from the shores of Lake Huron into a 27-foot boat. Drawn to its strong and silent presence which opens a dialogue by asking viewers to engage with the work, and contemplate questions about time, memory, flux, and uncertainty, the boat quickly became a beloved refuge for students and the community to step inside, reflect, and relax in.
Following its two-year installation in the artist garden, the boat took up temporary residence at the Cambridge Sculpture Garden and was included in the CAKFA biennale last spring.
Now installed in an open field across from McMaster Museum of Art, The Boat Project/everythingwillbefine is a permanent fixture on McMaster University campus – a welcome addition to its already extensive collection of public art.
The M(M)A is grateful for the efforts of the artist, the team of installers and everyone who made the return of the project possible.
About the artist
Ernest Daetwyler studied at the Schule für Gestaltung, Bern, Switzerland, the Centro Europeo in Venice, Italy and received his master diploma from the Schule für Gestaltung, St. Gallen, Switzerland. His multidisciplinary exhibitions and public interventions/art projects are being presented in Canada and internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, Pro Helvetia, Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Presence Suisse, the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) 2010 Exhibition of the Year Award, the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, the Arts Award Waterloo Region in Visual Arts and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York, N.Y. Ernest Daetwyler is a founding member, former Artistic/Executive Director of the international, artist-run biennial CAFKA, the Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area. As Editor he has produced several publications and has served the non-profit organization on the Board of Directors and in numerous functions for more then fourteen years.
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