More murals coming to Chilliwack, though one city councillor isn’t thrilled with one heading to Main Street
CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack Councillor Chris Kloot wasn’t exactly thrilled at the newest mural set to adorn an empty wall on Main Street, one of three murals council and Mayor Ken Popove pondered this week.
Kloot, a 10-year member of city council, said at Tuesday’s council meeting that he hoped a future mural would reflect Chilliwack’s past, like its farming community, military legacy through Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack, or Indigenous themes, as Chilliwack is home to thousands of people of First Nations descent.
Instead, a group of robots playing poker is slated to be painted on a blank canvas at 9345 Main Street. The artist behind the AI-inspired illustration is Juanjo Surace of Barcelona, Spain. His works are described in a City of Chilliwack staff report as “strange, eerie and bizarre.” In Surace’s own words, he aims to reflect the social canons of decent manners, which are often misused.
“My image reflects the human use of AI in day-to-day activities, using mesmerizing and fantastic dimensions as metaphors for human activities,” said Surace, who is slated to paint the mural from August 3-16, 2024, according to a city staff report.