North Warning System

As background context for North Warning System, the related work of Watchtowers (2007) and Outposts (2011) is necessary. In late 2010, Canadian NATO forces in Afghanistan invited Wylie to embed with them in Kandahar Province. Wylie spent six weeks, creating a systematic survey of the network of Outposts throughout Kandahar province, in a similar methodology as utilized in the British Watchtowers series. Outposts, Kandahar Province was published in 2011. Prior to completing Outposts, the NATO Canadian forces Wylie was embedded with, where soon to withdraw from Afghanistan. Through research, it became evident that Canada’s priority was to become less involved in foreign wars and concentrate on the defence of the Canadian arctic, which is increasingly being explored for newly accessible Arctic waters – particularly by Russian and Chinese ships. Canadian Armed forces went on to create a “system of systems” approach to the defence of Canadian Arctic sovereignty, due primarily to global warming and the melting of the ice cap, creating new sea routes. A new territory – the Artic – is now a new battle ground. US administrations have consistently claimed Canada’s claim to the North West Passage as “illegitimate”. After completing Outposts, Wylie went on and expanded on this historical narrative, through researching Canadian defence in the Arctic.

North Warning System was born out of this 12-year process of research into architecture and technology, control and power, the past, present, and future. North Warning System, in effect is the last chapter of that story, it acts as white blanket, a blank canvas to an unknown future, the Watchtower is not an offensive weapon, it is an anticipatory structure.