LaGuardia Airport Art Project, Turning Airport into Art Gallery

Though it may have seemed like time came to a standstill over the past two years, the clock in New York has been moving rapidly. LaGuardia Airport, which has been showcasing works by world-renowned contemporary artists following last year’s renovation, is a prime example.

Air travel begins with check-in at airports. A few years ago, Korean contemporary painter Jina Park was inspired by the uncertainty that grips people waiting for their flights at an airport, leading her to produce works emanating lethargy, fatigue and anxiety. There’s something unique in the air at airports.
And what if our experience at airports is filled with surprise and anticipation? The art project at LaGuardia Airport in New York was created to provide passengers and other visitors to the airport with a new visual environment. Located in Queens, about 13 kilometers from Manhattan, LaGuardia is one of three major airports in New York, and connects the Big Apple to the rest of America. Its Terminal B went through a major redevelopment, with an aim of living up to the standards of traveling in the 21st century. The art project is part of the renovation of the airport, highlighted by the new arrivals and departures halls.

Jeppe Hein, ‘All Your Wishes,’ 2020 [benches], Powder coated aluminum. Commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of the artist; LaGuardia Gateway Partners; Public Art Fund, NY; 303 GALLERY, NY; KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin; Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen

New York as Experienced by 4 Artists

The airport fielded ideas from many artists to best capture characteristics and sensibilities of New York with the project, and four made the final cut. They are: Berlin-based Jeppe Hein and Sabine Hornig, Los Angeles-based Laura Owens, and Sarah Sze, who works in New York. They have been featured at leading museums and public spaces around the world, and they will turn the once-deteriorating airport into an art museum. They planned site-specific works that take into account the airport’s flexible structure and the copious amounts of natural light it receives.
New York’s non-profit Public Art Fund teamed with LaGuardia Gateway Partners to commission this art program. They have collaborated with other top international artists and have had their projects exhibited at Central Park and Moynihan Train Hall in New York, among other public spaces. The four artists were encouraged to have their personal experience in New York reflected in their work this time. In terms of form and content, their pieces all have ‘lightness of being,’ as if liberated from gravity. There couldn’t have been a better concept to fuel the sense of anticipation for travelers.

Thinking Outside the Box, Disarming Lightness

‘All Your Wishes’ (2020) by the Copenhagen-born Hein will first grab your attention. The piece features stainless-steel balloons. Hein placed 70 of these PVD-coated balloons all over Terminal B. It seems as if light balloons have come to a stop up in the ceilings of the airport after floating through the air. These balloons, enough to wake up the child in grown-ups, are so refreshing as to ease the burden of traveling. Hein also built three benches on the floor level in the terminal. The bright red benches, made of powder-coated aluminum, curve, loop and twist to create a spontaneous form, and they offer a welcoming atmosphere that puts visitors’ minds at ease.

Laura Owens, ‘I [pizza emoji] NY,’ 2020, Handmade glazed ceramic tiles and grout. Commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. Photo: Tom Powel Imaging, Courtesy of the artist; Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York, Rome; Sadie Coles HQ, London; and Galerie Gisela Capitan, Cologne

And there’s nothing better to remind you that you’re indeed in New York than ‘I [pizza emoji] NY’ (2020) by the Ohio-native Owens. And no, the title of her work is not a misprint. Owens has never shied away from dynamic and experimental paintings, in content and techniques. This time, she decorated massive walls at the airport with ceramic tiled mosaic mural. Owens depicted the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, food trucks, Metro cards and pizza, among other iconic images of the Big Apple, in her sky blue mural. The piece synthesizes Owens’ unique style with the artisan craft of ceramic and digital image-making to deliver refreshing energy.

Sabine Hornig, ‘La Guardia Vistas,’ 2020, Latex ink and vinyl mounted on glass. Commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of the artist; LaGuardia Gateway Partners; Public Art Fund, NY; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles. © Sabine Hornig and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Germany

Light and Colors of City, Lightness that Awakens Sensibilities

Hornig, born in Pforzheim, interpreted the theme of lightness as a new type of sensibility that looks out toward the city. The photographer and the visual artist filled the expansive glass façade with her transparent photo collage. It allows sunlight to send visitors into a kaleidoscopic wash of various colors, images and texts. Twilight shades of blue reach the tops of inverted skyscrapers, which in turn reflect the golden morning sun. Titled ‘La Guardia Vistas,’ (2020), the piece merges over 1,000 photos of New York.

Sarah Sze, ‘Shorter than the Day,’ 2020, Powder coated aluminum and steel. Commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of the artist; LaGuardia Gateway Partners; Public Art Fund, NY; © Sarah Sze

Sze’s delightful installation is another highlight. The Massachusetts-native linked snapshots of the sky above New York to form a mirage-like sphere. These photos capture the pale yellow of dawn, the bright blue of daylight, the dusky orange of the sunset and the violet of the midnight, charting a day’s worth of journey. The title, ‘Shorter than the Day,’ (2020), was inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem. Sze compels her audience to meditate on permanence and transience.

It must have been a challenging project to draw on personal and abstract experiences and express them in visual language. And if visitors to the airport can feel even a small bit of creative energy, openness, diversity and democratic spirit that define New York, then this art project can be considered a success. If you want to find out more about the transformation of the airport at the hands of these artists, make LaGuardia your next destination.

Where to Stay in New York: LOTTE NEW YORK PALACE

LOTTE NEW YORK PALACE is housed in the late 19th-century mansion built by the financier Henry Villard, while also featuring a 55-story modern tower. It has appeared in popular U.S. TV show and several other films, and has become a must-stop destination in New York. It has 909 rooms, with a beautiful courtyard inspired by the 15th-century Italian cathedral, restaurant Villard, luxury salon Rarities, and cocktail bar Trouble’s Trust.

Address 455 Madison Avenue at 50th St., New York
Phone +1-800-804-7035
Website www.lottenypalace.com

ART & CULTURE

TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE

MORE ARTICLE

November 2021	Editor:Jung Jaewook Writer:Yeah Joon Han-Mann
LaGuardia Gateway Partners