It was a huge lift for art and technology at\nMinneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). A 29-foot-high glass and\nmetal sculpture was hoisted Wednesday and is now suspended through a new oval\nopening between the ticketing and baggage claim levels in Terminal 1. The sculpture is the signature element of a\nlarger, interactive artwork that will soon welcome and enhance the experience\nof millions of passengers and visitors at MSP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 740-pound sculpture is a twisting, aerial wave of\nmore than 23,000 aluminum rings that will house more than 2,600 hand-blown\nglass bulbs, each with a set of LEDs within. The Aurora is the creation of Jen\nLewin, an internationally renowned new media and interactive sculptor who has\ndesigned and installed permanent interactive public artworks worldwide,\nincluding the Sidewalk Harp in downtown Minneapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Aurora is one of MSP\u2019s largest art projects and was\ndesigned to serve as a symbol of the airport and our region,\u201d said MAC Chairman\nRick King. \u201cWhen you consider the tens of millions of people who fly to and\nfrom MSP every year, this is likely to become one of the most visible artworks\nin Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is an exciting milestone for a project that began\nmore than three years ago to create an inspirational gathering space at\nTerminal 1,\u201d said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission\n(MAC), which operates MSP. \u201cThe art installation is part of a multi-year\nproject to expand and modernize the terminal\u2019s ticketing and bag claim\nfacilities and will help transform travelers\u2019 experience at MSP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sculpture\u2019s 8,000 LEDs will be programmed to use live\nweather data to alter its color palettes to reflect Minnesota\u2019s seasons and\nweather conditions, such as blues and whites in colder times, greens and\nyellows more prevalent in the spring, or oranges and reds in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is a true honor to be able to create new interactive\nartwork for the airport, which is such a dynamic public space,\u201d said Lewin. \u201cMy\nhope is to capture viewers for a moment of joy, dance, and playful connection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below The Aurora, nestled within the baggage claim floor,\nLewin also designed an 18-foot-wide interactive cluster of reflective glass\nplatforms loosely depicting public lakes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area\nincluding Lake Phalen, Lake Como, Lake Nokomis and Lake of the Isles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People standing, or dancing, on the lake platforms will\nbe able to trigger colors changes beneath their feet as well as wisps of color\nin the same palette up into The Aurora above, resembling a gesture of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Aurora depicts the beauty of our region in an\nabstract way with a nod to the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis,\u201d said\nBen Owen, Director, Arts@MSP, Airport Foundation MSP. \u201cOur hope is that it will create a sparkling\nspace for guests to bid their loved ones goodbye and to welcome them home at\nthe conclusion of their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the next two months, Lewin and her team will\ncomplete the artwork by installing the glass bulbs and lake forms. They will\nalso test the programming that makes the piece interactive. It’s expected that\nThe Aurora will make its debut in early 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MAC, in partnership with Airport Foundation MSP,\ncommissioned Lewin in 2018 to design and create the artwork. A 16-member Blue\nRibbon Artist Selection Panel, made up of Minnesota civic and arts community\nleaders, Airport Foundation staff, and MAC staff led the artist selection\nprocess. Lewin and her design team\nconducted public meetings and public surveys that yielded more than 10,000\nengagements or ideas to help inform her design with a goal that it would\nreflect the airport and the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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