Quebec City artist pays tribute to George Floyd with giant snow sculpture

Quebec City artist Timothee de Sandro paid tribute to George Floyd, whose death inspired worldwide protests against police violence, with a giant snow sculpture. (Photo: Timothee de Sandro)

MONTREAL — A Quebec City artist paid tribute to George Floyd, whose death inspired widespread protests against police violence, by building a giant snow sculpture in his likeness.

“I selected George Floyd as a symbol because I thought it was the best bet to draw attention and pay homage to all the victims of systemic racial discrimination,” said Timothee de Sandro. “Unsuspecting martyrs are known posthumously from a brief snapshot and that ephemerality also reflected by the medium and setting of the artwork, and make people get together before it’s too late, just as we should have as a society for the victims.”

De Sandro has made other large snow sculptures in the past. For the George Floyd statue, he estimated it took 60 hours to complete.

“The running joke is I “borrowed” my snow from my neighbours with plans to return it to them come springtime,” he said.