Arc of Memory
This international competition-winning design is a memorial to the victims of communist authoritarianism and a celebration of Canada as a place of refuge. Located near the centre of Ottawa in the National Capital Region, Arc of Memory forms the focus of a larger landscaped setting, supporting both public ceremonies and private acts of remembrance.
More than 4,000 bronze rods are arranged along 365 slender fins, each set to a unique solar angle, marking every hour of every day across a full year. Extending 21 metres, the sculptural array follows two sweeping arcs from solstice to solstice. Divided at its midpoint, the work marks the winter solstice as the darkest day of the year, inviting visitors to move through it on a metaphorical journey from darkness and oppression toward light and liberty.
At a distance, the field of rods conveys the vast scale of suffering endured under oppressive regimes. Up close, the memorial becomes personal and reflective, allowing visitors to situate their own histories within a shared continuum of time. As an instrument of memory, the work connects individual experience to collective understanding, grounded in Canada’s values of openness, dignity, and freedom.
More than 4,000 bronze rods trace each hour of the year, forming a precise and resonant instrument of memory.
Marked by the winter solstice, the form invites a passage from darkness toward light, reflection, and renewal.
The memorial invites each visitor to walk their own path, connecting personal memory to a shared civic landscape.
