The artworks featured in this exhibition were initially installed and documented in situ at the Sculpted Rocks of Cantley, a rocky outcrop with unique geologic features located in a now defunct sand quarry in Cantley, Quebec. During the Last Glacial Period, around 12,000 years ago, these rocks were trapped under the Laurentide ice sheet, grinding and churning debris trapped underneath, leaving glacial striations and gouges visible in the marble. As the glacier retreated, the rock was carved through intense pressure and the violent swirling, erosive action of turbulent subglacial meltwater flow. The meltwater that shaped the Sculpted Rocks deposited a ridge of sand and gravel over the site, only to be revealed by quarrying activity from 1954 to 1970.

The site’s unique geologic features are a testament to the immense forces that have shaped our Earth over vast geologic time. Viewed through the lens of geological history, the Sculpted Rocks of Cantley invite investigations of catastrophe, deep time, flood myths, the Anthropocene, and environmental degradation. The selected works and their relation to the landscape and themes in both concept and material create meaningful experiences to explore the complex relationships between land, culture, and art in Québec.

The Sculpted Rocks of Cantley are currently closed to the public. However, the site is in process to become a geologic park and is projected to open in the spring of 2025.