The City of Halifax is going through rapid changes with many buildings being built, especially downtown. Impermanence is a fact of life and it is clearly illustrated in how the City is tearing down the old to build the new. This Nocturne installation will offer the public the opportunity to create and build their own design and space within a mandala circle.
The Shambhala School lives in a building that survived the Halifax Explosion. It is a reference point to history from over 100 years ago. It represents strength and fortitude, since the building is still standing after all that it has seen happening around it. Mandala is a Sanskrit word, loosely meaning “circle.” More broadly it represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a time-microcosm of the universe. Here, mandala represents the circle of the community of the school and community at large, north-end Halifax. Sand is used in building foundations and levelling ground to build upon, as well as being one of the early materials we connect to in the world of sensory play as children. The mandala is the foundation for creativity and building, a strong symbol. Being the foundation for creativity, the mandala will blossom, being built by all who leave their mark with fragments of the ocean’s life, all in a grain of sand.
