« between the waters and the stars » is a work that evokes variations in the sound waves of a throat song performed by the Inuuk mother-daughter duo Nina Segalowitz and Sierra Segalowitz-Clabaux.

Inuit throat singing, always performed in pairs, is a cultural and social tradition practised by women for pleasure, entertainment, and fun. In this work, the song imitates water burbling as it passes over the rocks and pebbles of a river bed. The idea of portraying this tradition is inspired by the site of the Sanaaq Centre near Cabot Square – a place where Indigenous people, and particularly Inuit, often gather.

Composed of flat glass shapes twisted at the top and bottom, the work suggests hanging strings reminiscent of the strips in a wampum belt. These refer to the constant, living, and uninterrupted relationship between earth and sky and to the fragile and multiple nature of ties woven, of communication, and of community.

So, this work brings together diverse expressions of the land – geographic, vocal, and cultural – in a coherent visual composition. Each handmade glass form heightens the richness of individual expression by superimposing many layers of experience within a common and continued narrative.

The artwork was produced within the context of the construction project for the Sanaaq Centre, situated in the Peter-McGill district of the Ville-Marie borough. In compliance with the Québec government’s Politique d’intégration des arts à l’architecture et à l’environnement des bâtiments et des sites gouvernementaux et publics, this building is required to incorporate an artwork designed specifically for it.