National Gallery of Canada Commissions Major New Sculpture by Alicja Kwade as part of its National Engagement initiative

Developed in partnership with the Lassonde Art Trail, this monumental commission will debut in Toronto's largest park to open in a generation.

OTTAWA, ON, March 31, 2026 /CNW/ - The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) announces today the commission of a major new sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Alicja Kwade, which will debut on the Lassonde Art Trail (LAT). Set to open in the summer of 2026, LAT is a visionary new public art destination in Biidaasige Park on Toronto's waterfront. Marking the artist's largest and most ambitious work to date, the sculpture will be installed on the Trail in May 2027.

This landmark partnership reflects the NGC's commitment to expanding public access to art across the country and is part of its growing National Engagement initiative which aims to bring artworks from its collection, along with newly commissioned pieces, into everyday public life.

Born in Poland and based in Berlin, Alicja Kwade is recognized for her sculptures and installations that use simple materials in surprising ways, encouraging viewers to rethink their ideas of time, space and reality. In recent years, she has become known for her outdoor public artworks, including her 2019 rooftop installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This unique work on Toronto's waterfront allows Kwade to extend her practice into a new geographic and cultural context through a major public commission.

The new sculpture will include locally sourced granite from the Canadian Shield. Fabrication will partly take place in the Greater Toronto Area, reinforcing the project's connection to local materials, craftsmanship, and place. The commission, a defining presence along LAT, allows the NGC to explore new approaches to commissioning, ensuring that contemporary artists can create bold and community-focused projects at a scale rarely possible in a traditional museum environment.

"Toronto was the first major city on the continent I experienced and it left a lasting impression on me. I perceive it as a city with a strong proximity to nature, to water and to green spaces, while at the same time being clearly constructed, conceived and rising vertically," said artist Alicja Kwade. "I find it essential that art in public space is truly accessible to everyone, that people can encounter it unexpectedly, even stumble upon it, and are invited to engage with it. This work has been a long‑held wish for many years and I am incredibly happy to see it materialize in dialogue with this public space."

The commission deepens the NGC's partnership with LAT, whose launch program was announced in October 2025 and includes the loan of a sculpture by British artist Tracey Emin from the Gallery's collection. This early collaboration between the NGC and LAT signalled a shared commitment to expanding access to art in public spaces.

It also reflects the NGC's commitment to supporting women artists, including artists from Eastern Europe, and to making its collection and contemporary art more accessible in new and dynamic ways. This commission joins a growing list of National Engagement initiatives across the country, including recent projects with artists Sylvie Tourangeau at La Manif d'art (Quebec City, QC), Joan Jonas in We come from the sea (Cape Breton, NS), Ilya and Emilia Kabakov's The Ship of Tolerance (Oakville, ON), Sharon Lockhart's WINDWARD (Fogo Island, NL and Banff, AB), and Ai Weiwei's Forever Bicycles at The Forks (Winnipeg, MB).

"This project embodies our mission to share art widely and meaningfully across the country, including beyond our institutional walls," said Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO of the NGC. "Alicja Kwade's monumental sculpture highlights what can be achieved when institutions collaborate to expand access to art. We are proud to play a role in shaping a public space that will welcome millions of Canadians and visitors each year."

"We are thrilled that LAT will be the debut location for a truly significant sculpture by a world-renowned artist that is both responsive to the Art Trail site and exemplary of the NGC's vision to further National Engagement," said Julie Lassonde, Chair of the Board at LAT. "We value partnerships that encourage ambitious, dynamic art programming and establish Canada as a global cultural leader."

Launching in summer 2026, LAT consists of 15 interconnected public art sites offering a program of permanent and rotating installations by leading Canadian, Indigenous, and international artists. Situated within a new 60-acre waterfront park system on Toronto's Port Lands, the Trail is part of a $1.4 billion urban redevelopment project led by Waterfront Toronto in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

As a national project designed to be open year-round and free to the public, LAT is envisioned as a cultural destination for visitors from across Canada and beyond. The addition of Kwade's monumental sculpture underscores LAT's dedication to co-commissioning innovative, large-scale artworks that resonate with a broad public and reflect diverse perspectives.

The National Gallery of Canada's National Engagement initiative is generously supported by Michael Nesbitt, with additional funding from the National Gallery of Canada Foundation.

The Lassonde Art Trail Foundation is grateful for the support of Frances and Tim Price to realize this partnership project and its integration on the Art Trail. 

About the National Gallery of Canada 
Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world's most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all – now and for generations to come. We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous, contemporary and Canadian art, major works from the 14^th to the 21^st century and extensive library and archival holdings.

Established in 2024, the National Engagement initiative expands the NGC's commitment to sharing art with communities across the country's provinces and territories. By developing new forms of collaboration, including commissions, long‑term and special loans as well as community-led programming, we increase access to art beyond the Gallery's walls. These initiatives build on established programs including travelling exhibitions, digital initiatives, and the Loans Program.

Ankosé  –  Everything is connected – Tout est relié   

About the Lassonde Art Trail
Launching in summer 2026, the Lassonde Art Trail will be an open-air cultural experience unfolding over 4.2-kilometres of walking paths within Biidaasige Park, a massive new public waterfront park system overlooking Lake Ontario in Toronto's Port Lands. Situated in the new Ookwemin Minising island in the Toronto harbour archipelago, the Art Trail is at the heart of a massive $1.4 billion project delivered by Waterfront Toronto that reroutes the mouth of the Don River and builds flood protection for downtown Toronto.

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For media inquiries, please contact: Pénélope Carreau, Officer, Public Relations, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]; Lassonde Art Trail contact: Signe Barlow, VP, PR & Communications, Chimera Collective, [email protected]