New art at Miami and Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Airports

Courtesy MIA Airport

Do not lick the art at MIA

A colorful new installation that looks like swirls of frosting is now on view near Gate D31 at Miami International Airport (MIA).

“Touch from Above,” by Miami artist Gianna D, is made up of 11 thickly layered, labor-intensive, abstract paintings. Each of these paintings is filled with vibrant swirls of color.

The swirls look like dollops of ‘frosting,’ and the artist says each dollop represents an act of kindness.

Giant sculpture in progress at MSP

Courtesy MSP Airport

The Aurora is a two-story interactive artwork by Jen Lewin in progress at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

The project reached a milestone last week with the installation of the 29-foot-high, 740-pound glass and metal part of the sculpture.

Courtesy MSP Airport

The twisting, aerial wave has more than 23,000 aluminum rings and it is now suspended through an oval opening between the ticketing and baggage claim levels in Terminal 1.

The next step is for the artist Jen Lewin to add 2,600 hand-blown glass bulbs, each with a set of LEDs within.

Courtesy Jen Lewin Studio

The 8000 LEDs will be then be programmed to use live weather data to alter the sculpture’s color palettes to reflect Minnesota’s seasons and weather conditions.

Courtesy Jen Lewin Studio

Below the Aurora, embedded in the floor on the baggage claim level, there will be another part of the sculpture. This will be an interactive cluster of reflective glass platforms representing area lakes.

When people walk, dance, or move on the interactive “lakes,” they will influence the light show in the sculpture above.

Look for the completed Aurora in early 2021.

Courtesy MSP Airport

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