An iconic piece of Ottawa's public art landscape has been removed. The massive, illuminated 'Moving Surfaces' sculpture at Lansdowne Park was dismantled by crews, marking the end of its 11-year tenure overlooking the Rideau Canal.
The End of an Era for a Signature Artwork
Created by Vancouver-based artist Jill Anholt, Moving Surfaces was a monumental digital installation. The piece, made of folded stainless steel, stretched an impressive 50 metres in length and stood 10 metres high. It was installed in 2014 alongside the trickling spire Uplift, with the combined project costing approximately $3.5 million.
For over a decade, the undulating sculpture occupied a berm with a prime view of the historic Rideau Canal, its LED lighting system creating a dynamic visual display. However, the artwork has been non-functional as a digital piece since March 2024. A city report from last fall cited the unavailability of critical electronic parts and a lack of budget for restoration as the primary reasons for its failure.
Mounting Costs and the Lansdowne 2.0 Decision
The sculpture's maintenance presented an ongoing financial challenge for the city. According to official reports, it cost an estimated $5,000 annually since 2017 to maintain, replace components, and solve electrical issues. A major lighting and software failure in 2019 required a $119,000 repair to restore functionality.
The final blow came with the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment plans. The official recommendation included that Moving Surfaces be "respectfully decommissioned and removed." The report estimated a staggering $700,000 would be needed to fully rehabilitate the lighting system, a cost deemed prohibitive.
Artist's Hopes Dashed by Swift Dismantling
Artist Jill Anholt had not given up on her creation. During the Lansdowne 2.0 debates, she proposed finding a cost-effective solution to keep the artwork operational. In late October 2024, Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard successfully presented a motion to city council, securing up to $25,000 for Anholt to explore lower-cost options to re-imagine the piece.
Anholt received a draft contractor's report in mid-December 2025, which found that 151 out of 182 LEDs were still operational, though some component degradation was noted—an expected outcome for an outdoor installation. She was optimistic and believed outdated parts could be replaced over time with proper testing.
However, upon returning from vacation in early January 2026, the situation changed rapidly. Anholt learned that due to time constraints, her recommendations for carefully removing and storing the LEDs during disassembly could not be followed. In a Zoom meeting on January 13, 2026, she was informed the final report concluded all lighting components would need full replacement and that the LEDs would be left outside.
Anholt expressed devastation at the news, feeling the dismantling happened with extraordinary speed. She has received no information about funding or plans to reinstate the sculpture, leaving the future of the multi-million dollar artwork in question.
The removal of Moving Surfaces leaves a notable void at Lansdowne Park and raises broader questions about the long-term sustainability and maintenance of large-scale, technology-dependent public art in Canadian cities.
