Photo: City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
Weekend Chime - photo by City of Vancouver
800 Robson Street
Robson Street Public Plaza
The artwork's four red horns are installed on top of a lighting pole at Robson Street's plaza behind the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Civic
2021
Carillon chime system, power amplifier, 4 Atlas speakers, conductor wiring
Site-integrated work
In place
City of Vancouver
Artist-Initiated Projects 2017
AudioDowntown North Quadrant
Description of work

Weekend Chime was one of five projects commissioned as part of the Public Art Program's 2017 Artist-Initiated Public Call. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtpBV_I_Mf0&t=32s

Artist statement

Weekend Chime is a sound installation that plays notes based on the chorus of Loverboy’s iconic song, Working for the Weekend every Friday at 5 p.m., to signal the end of the traditional work week and the beginning of the weekend. More specifically, the chime sounds the two-note melody used by singer Mike Reno while singing the word “weekend” in the chorus that gives the song its title. The artwork explores themes of class, labour struggles and the versatility of pop music.

Although the lyrics seem to loosely depict a kind of social-recreational interaction, the artist has interpreted the song as an unofficial sing-along anthem for the weekend itself and for working people. The artist Brady Cranfield says “I see a parallel between the way everyday people use, reuse, remake and occupy that space and the way that we use, reuse, remake and occupy pop songs. Weekend Chime will hopefully act as a reminder that we’re all workers, the true producers of value in the world.”

Learn more about this arwork here: Weekend Chime brochure (PDF)

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