public art

Indianapolis International Airport removes ‘permanent’ artwork

Art, , ,

To the dismay of the mayor of Indianapolis, many local citizens, much of the arts community in Indiana and beyond and, most of all, artist James Wille Faust, on Monday night workers removed Faust’s site-specific work, Chrysalis, from its prominent spot over the main escalators at Indianapolis International Airport.

 

Chrysalis had been made for and installed in the airport’s new passenger terminal back in 2008, as part of the $4 million collection of permanent public art work that had been commissioned for the building from 17 artists and six poets.

But at IND airport, “permanent” doesn’t seem to mean what we thought. Faust’s work is to be replaced by what the airport calls an “innovative LED video wall … that will feature video-based artworks and commercial advertising.”

The video wall, to be installed in time for holiday travel, will be 22 feet wide and 7.5 feet tall and, in addition to advertising, will feature a video art series put together by curators from the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

According to a release from the airport, in its first year, the On Screen art program will feature Perm Press: The American Cycle (2011), a video by Indianapolis-based artist Artur Silva that runs about a minute and includes images of Abraham Lincoln and other American icons. A project by New York-based Nina Katchadourian called Seat Assignment (2011) will follow.

In a statement, airport authority CEO John Clark said the removal of Chrysalis and the installment of the video wall was a decision made in part “to remain competitive and support our goal of being the airport system of choice.”

But many local residents, including Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard, were disappointed in the decision.

“Mayor Ballard has long believed and publicly stated that visitors to our city should be welcomed by a high profile display of public art,” said Mark Lotter of the mayor’s office.

Faust also issued a statement that said in part, “We believe this defiant and perceived underhanded action speaks for itself.”

 

Nashville Airport unveils new large scale art work

Art, , ,

On Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, Nashville International Airport officially dedicates a new large-scale piece of public art titled: ‘Wind Reeds.’

The piece was created for the airport’s new rental car facility by Ned Kahn and features hundreds of hinged aluminum elements that sway in the wind, mimicking a grass-like effect.

Here’s a bit of Kahn’s artist statement about the work:
“…Even from a great distance, the proposed sculpture functions as a dynamic beacon for the airport. Similar to watching the wind blow through a field of tall grass or the wind playing on the surface of water, the artwork fosters a welcoming mood of contemplation and wonder. My hope is that the artwork will function as a register for the ever-changing wind and create a unique kinetic portal for Nashville that will remind people of the magic and mystery of the world that we live in.”

Nashville International Airport has lots of other permanent and temporary art work, art exhibits and live music year-round. If you’re heading that way, be sure to check the schedule so you don’t miss something really great.

More photos of Sacramento Int’l Airport’s new terminal

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The new $1 billion Central Terminal B at Sacramento International Airport welcomes the first flights on Thursday, October 6th. Here are few more photos from my preview visit on Monday. (See previous posts for more).

About 16 of these lovely teak rocking chairs are set out in the meeter/greeter of the terminal, at one end of the people mover.

This painted steel and hand blown glass house by Mildred Howard is titled “The House Will Not Pass for Any Color but Its Own.” It’s the first thing passengers see as they exit the people move and approach the security checkpoint.

This giant horn-shaped piece of public art is titled “Your Words are Music to their Ears” and was created by Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen, who work together as Living Lenses.
The horn has a built-in Internet keyboard that turns typed words into sound.

For “The Baggage Handlers” Christian Moeller took photos of real airport operation workers and transformed their faces into giant portraits in wood.

And finally – for now – take note of this small and simply lovely quiet room in the new terminal at Sacramento International Airport. There’s a small bench and a colored wall. That’s it.

Indianapolis Airport swapping art for ads

Art, , , ,

When they opened the new terminal building in 2008, officials at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) boasted of spending millions of dollars on artwork that included 36 site-specific, permanent pieces that were “intended to serve as a visual gateway to the city.”

But now one of those permanent” pieces – James Wille Faust’s multi-story sculptural painting titled “Chrysalis” is being taken down and replaced with a video wall that will used for advertising and electronic art.

The airport is trying to find a “tasteful balance” between competing interests for advertising income and art and has hired the consulting arm of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) to help develop a new public art plan, said Carlo Bertolini, director of communications at Indianapolis Airport Authority. “We’ll reveal details about that plan in a few weeks,” he said. “In the meantime, an opportunity was presented to us some time ago to incorporate a video wall in that space and we thought it made sense.”

But the idea doesn’t make sense to some of the commissioned artists and to many local and national arts supporters.

“If the airport wants to present Indiana as a cultural destination and highlight local and national artists, this is the wrong message to be sending out,” said Valerie Eickmeier, dean of the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. “It’s just kind of insulting to the artist to have work taken down because of an advertising opportunity.”

“I feel [Faust’s] pain,” said Brooklyn-based artist Ron Baron, who created “Baggage Claim,” using suitcases and a miniature diorama of baggage handlers and travelers, specifically for the airport’s baggage claim area. “It’s a slap in the face. Especially because when the building opened there was so much hoopla and celebration of the art and the artists. The irony here is that the museum is involved and they of all people should understand the importance of site-specific art. Now I’m worried what will happen to my art.”

While controversial, airport officials can legally do as they please. As is common in commissioning contracts for public art, the airport reserved the right to remove the pieces. “The artists knew that,” said Julia Moore, the public art administrator at Blackburn Architects, the firm that oversaw the selection of artists and artwork for the terminal. “But I don’t think they knew or thought that less than three years after the airport opened, the airport authority would just change its mind about what they wanted in this prominent spot.”

Moore echoes the comments of others who find it ironic that Faust’s work is being removed in consultation with the IMA. “You’d expect the museum to come down on the side of art,” she said. “The key is going to be what’s going to be there. Is it going to be mostly advertising or mostly art? Or mostly art until advertisers want the spot?”

For its part, the airport authority offered to move Faust’s “Chrysalis” piece to another public building in town. But because the piece was designed specifically for its spot at the airport and “removing, modifying and re-installing the artwork to another location would compromise the integrity” of his work, Faust declined.

Instead, the piece will be stored away.

Photos courtesy James Wille Faust

A slightly different version of this story first appeared on msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin.

SFO T2 brings back great “old” art

Air Travel, Art, ,

Here’s one more look at some of the art in the newly renovated Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport.

The terminal, which will serve American Airlines and Virgin America passengers, opens to the flying public on Thursday, April 14th.  Among the artwork travelers will see are some treasures that have been in storage for years.

Kate Patterson of San Francisco Arts Commission says one of the highlights is a series of three tapestries by Mark Adams.

Mark Adams tapestry at SFO T2

 

“Woven in the traditional Aubusson style, these tapestries represent various gardens that the artist remembers from his years living in San Francisco. Irises, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and wild dahlias rendered in rich, deep shades now greet passengers as they make their way towards the baggage claim area.”

 

Patterson says the works that were put away during the T2 renovation include pieces by some key figures in the Bay Area’s Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area Funk movements, including Roy De Forest, Lee Mullican, Hassel Smith, Sam Tchakalian, Joan Brown, Wally Hedrick and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

“As a collection, these artworks provide a window to San Francisco’s vibrant art scene in the early 1960s through the mid-1980s.”

Curious to know more about the new and ‘old’ artwork in SFO’s T2?

Earprint Productions has made a cell phone art tour for T2. (650.353.4331)

That audio will soon be available as a podcast.

For more about the art and amenities in SFO’s renovated T2 see these previous posts:

SFO T2 Sneak Peek: part 1

SFO T2 Sneak Peek: part 2

SFO T2 Sneak Peek: part 3