NEWS RELEASES

April 17, 2001

BERLIN EMBASSY INTEGRATED ART

SELECTION PROCESS BEGINS

Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley today called on Canadian professional artists to take part in a three-stage selection process commissioning integrated fine art and design for Canada's newest embassy.

"Promoting Canadian values and culture abroad is an important pillar of our foreign policy," said Mr. Manley. "The new Canadian Embassy in Berlin will provide an excellent international stage to showcase our vibrant, engaging and diverse culture in the heart of Europe. We are committed to a fair and transparent process to identify qualified candidates for the Embassy's integrated art. That is why we are today inviting professional artists to take part in this exciting process."

The Embassy is scheduled to open in 2004. It will be the first Canadian Embassy to be constructed in a G-8 capital since those built in Washington in 1989 and Tokyo in 1991. The prominent site at the junction of Leipziger Platz and Potsdamer Platz was purchased by Canada in 1998.

In stage one, artists are asked to submit their credentials, slides, a statement of interest and a completed Agreement to Propose and Consent Form to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In stage two, site-specific concepts for public artworks will be requested. In stage three, commissioned artists will work with members of the project design team to develop and refine the concepts, materials, fabrication and implementation plans for the art.

Integrated fine art and design may be fabricated as discrete units, installed over or applied in place of finished surfaces, or constructed as part of the actual architectural finishes or embellishments (e.g., as patterns and designs in walls, floors, glazing, lighting or other architectural elements).

Selected artists or artist teams will become members of the mission design team, collaborating with the Department, the architects and the public art manager to develop integrated public art and design concepts for specific locations in the Embassy.

The Call to Artists information package is available on-line at

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/Art-Berlin or by contacting:

Call to Artists

Fax: (613) 941-2568

E-mail: srmz@dfait-maeci.gc.ca (Mark Call to Artists in the subject line.)

Submissions must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. EDT on May 24, 2001.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sanjeev Chowdhury

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874