Working with British Artist Ryan Gander on a Monumental Installation in Toronto

At Rockscapes of Canada, we’ve spent decades creating immersive environments for zoos, aquariums, private clients, and public art, but every once in a while, a project comes along that feels like you’re holding a piece of history. We were deeply honoured to work with one of this generation’s great artists, Ryan Gander, to help bring his monumental vision, The Cat, the Clock and the Rock, to life.

Unveiled at 234 Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto, this striking public sculpture now stands as a permanent installation at Artists Alley, commissioned by Lanterra Developments and supported by the OCAD U Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers.

The piece features a polished, double-rendered stainless steel clock — a mirror to time — balanced on top of a rock that is arguably 4.3 billion years old. This ancient specimen was ethically sourced by geologist Jonathan O’Neil from the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt in Hudson Bay. Resting nearby is a life-sized sculpture of a domestic cat, peacefully curled up in the shadow of deep time.

Our role? To scale the impossible — literally!

We were brought in by Soheil Mosun Limited, a company that loves to create the impossible with extreme attention to detail, to help bring Ryan Gander’s vision to life. We were given the task of recreating this ancient rock, not as a small relic, but as a supersized sculptural form, scaling it up 3000 times its original size!

The process was meticulous and deeply collaborative. Starting with the studying of the rock, we worked tirelessly to ensure every curve and detail of the original specimen was faithfully replicated at an entirely different scale. Sean and the Rockscapes crew began by welding a steel internal structure, reinforced with rebar to support the weight and geometry. This skeleton was then built out using a series of custom-fitted panels pieced together to create the rock’s form.

Once the shape was complete, we applied a fibre-reinforced scratch coat, giving the surface durability and depth. Over that, a finish coat was added to mimic the unique texture and fractured elegance of the ancient stone. 

One of the most unique features of the rock is its scientific sample designation, the actual identification numbers and letters used by geologists to catalogue this one-of-a-kind specimen. These weren’t just details; they were essential to preserving the scientific integrity and storytelling embedded in the artwork.

To achieve absolute accuracy, Sean used a projector to beam the exact sample writing onto the surface of the enlarged rock, allowing him to trace the lettering precisely by hand. This process ensured that the markings were true to the original , down to scale, position, and line weight. 

Then came Sean’s personal milestone: painting the rock by hand, carefully layering colours to match the precise tonal qualities of its 4.3-billion-year-old counterpart. Despite his 25 year-long career in sculpting and structural rock work, this project marked the first time he’s had to paint, a very meaningful step in his creative journey.

Working alongside an artist like Ryan Gander, whose storytelling lives in objects, time, and contrast, was a true honour. Projects like The Cat, the Clock and the Rock stretch us as craftsmen, challenge us as artists, and connect us to something much bigger than ourselves. And we couldn’t be more proud to have been a part of it!

You can visit The Cat, the Clock and the Rock at 234 Simcoe Street in Toronto, Ontario. 

Photographs taken by Gordon Szendrey, Robert Massaro and Sean Mangan.