Published in Midwest Flyer – February/March 2019 Issue
St. Paul, Minn. – The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), along with Airport Foundation MSP and Arts@MSP, welcomed world-renowned artist Jen Lewin to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP, November 19, 2018, to present her concept for the interactive, public artwork that will be featured on both the ticketing and baggage claim levels of Terminal 1-Lindbergh. Local collaborating artist Betsy Alwin joined Lewin in presenting the concept.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the concept Jen has created for our airport,” said Brian Ryks, MAC Executive Director and CEO. “It’s going to be a stunning piece of artwork and we invite everyone to come out and interact with it once it’s installed.”
The custom-designed piece will be called “Aurora,” a hovering wisp of glass and metal, floating above and below the ticketing level floor opening. Created from vintage glass bulbs, an aluminum honeycomb structure, and more than 8,000 twinkling, interactive LEDs, the Aurora will mimic a graceful, ever-changing gesture of light.
Below the Aurora, embedded in the floor on the baggage claim level, will be an interactive cluster of reflective glass platforms, the forms of which generally represent the waters of Minnesota and which are loosely derived from several lakes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.
Standing in the “lakes” will trigger swirling light and interactive color (directly beneath one’s feet). The colors will propagate up into the Aurora so that both elements are always displaying the same connected color pallet. Waving one’s hands in the air or moving one’s body above the lake floor will trigger gentle wisps of color that will stretch up and into the Aurora, resembling a gesture of light.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP) is one of seven airports owned and operated by the MAC. KMSP is the 13th busiest airport in the United States and ranks 17th in travelers served.
