Science North rooftop becomes giant canvas for French muralists Ella and Pitr

It's a view of the city that only birds and people in planes can see — or perhaps folks flying drones outfitted with cameras.

French muralist painters Ella and Pitr have adorned one of the buildings at Science North, the iconic science centre in Sudbury, Ont., with a rooftop mural, as part the city's Up Here arts and music festival.

The duo's mural depicts a man constrained by the confines of the roof's edges.

The artists, known for painting large-scale murals in public places around the world, chose to paint on top of Science North because it's in one of the city's most photogenic areas, nestled on the edge of Bell Park.

Up Here festival co-founder Christian Pelletier said having the artists pick Sudbury was "huge."

"I think it really spoke to the artists. We gave the artists a bunch of different options, and they came back to us and they fell in love with Lake Ramsey."

As for the meaning behind the mural, which appears to portray a helmet-wearing giant sucking his toe, Ella said she won't spoon-feed the audience any interpretations.  

"There is one [interpretation,]" she said, "but it's a secret because we promised the organization not to speak a lot about [it.]"

Ella said that she worried the image's back story may "cause some problems between people in Sudbury."  

Pitr was much clearer in his expectations:

"Some people will love it, the other ones will hate it."

Up Here — now in its second year — attracts muralists from around the world who adorn building exteriors with art. The festival wraps up on Saturday.

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