Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine April/May 2024 Digital Issue
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MINN. – Internationally renowned artist Kipp Kobayashi revealed his conceptual design for a 45-foot-wide suspended public art sculpture at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). His design fuses themes of travel with symbols of travelers’ most cherished items.
Kobayashi’s design for his hanging sculpture, titled “The Dreams We Carry,” will be constructed to float over travelers crisscrossing below in the Concourse G Rotunda, near gates G18-22 in Terminal 1. It will be created with see-through wire mesh luggage forms that hold unique objects inside—items curated from stories and surveys of Minnesotans and travelers who identified their most beloved possessions.
“Our cherished possessions reveal profound aspects of our identity, symbols of experiences, relationships, and significant moments in our lives,” Kobayashi said. “They serve as reminders of the places we’ve explored, the people we’ve encountered, and the indelible memories we hold dear.”
Kobayashi was commissioned to design and install a rotunda artwork in the fall of 2022 through the Arts@MSP program, a partnership between the Airport Foundation MSP and the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates MSP. The permanent art installation is the final element of a recent concourse expansion project that added 50,000 square feet of public space for the two-story rotunda, larger gate areas, more food and retail venues, and a new Delta Sky Club®, which opened in April 2023.
“Providing travelers with exceptional airport experiences is a top priority for us,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the MAC. “With that in mind, we designed the G Concourse rotunda to anchor a work of art that could welcome and inspire those who are traveling through the space. We look forward to adding this sculpture as another way to enhance travelers’ experience at MSP.”
The Kobayashi sculpture will join a collection of 80 permanent works at MSP curated by the Arts@MSP program.
“Kobayashi’s work will become another signature artwork for the airport and our region,” said Rick King, chair of the MAC. “It will offer visitors a new lasting impression and cultural link to our state and those who live here.”
Kobayashi is a Los Angeles-based artist, teacher and art advocate with many public and private art commissions that demonstrate his unique talents working with multimedia in collaboration with architects and engineers. Over the past year, Kobayashi has interacted with dozens of groups and hundreds of Twin Cities residents and MSP travelers who informed his design and revealed some of the treasures that bring us together and define a community.
“Surrounded by the hustle of air travel, ‘The Dreams We Carry’ will inspire moments of tranquility—poignant reminders that every piece of luggage holds a story, a dream, a fragment of someone’s identity, intricately weaving together and reflecting the vibrant fabric of our community,” said Ben Owen, director of the Arts@MSP program.
The sculpture project is funded by the MSP Percent for Arts and Culture Program—a dedicated source of funds for art from public-area capital projects. The artist commission for the Concourse G Rotunda art project is budgeted not to exceed $600,000.
Kobayashi will spend the remainder of 2024 fabricating the sculpture. Installation will occur in early 2025.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns and operates one of the nation’s largest airport systems, including Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP) and six general aviation airports. Though a public corporation of the State of Minnesota, the organization is not funded by income or property taxes. Instead, the MAC’s operations are funded by rents and fees generated by users of its airports. For more information, visit www.metroairports.org.
