The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Terminal One, the company developing the new international terminal set to be built at JFK, have announced seven artists selected to create artworks representing the history and culture of New York and Queens.
Sculptures, mosaics and murals throughout the terminal will integrate into a wider cultural program including filmmaking, digital experiences and the terminal’s branding – designed to create a sense of place unique to New York.
The program will be led by Arup, a British multinational professional services firm, in collaboration with Pentagram, Culture Corps, Gentilhomme, Karlssonwiker, We Should Do It All, and a selection of artists and studios.
Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole said, ‘“These remarkable artists, filmmakers and digital designers will infuse JFK’s New Terminal One with the energy, diversity and creativity that define our region. Their work reflects the Port Authority’s commitment to reimagining the entire airport experience across our region – transforming our airports into world-class gateways that embody the very best of New York and New Jersey.”
Gideon D’Arcangelo, experience design lead at Arup, said that public art, branding and digital installations can be used to enhance the passenger experience. “Too often, airport experiences feel like they could be anywhere. Building on the Port Authority’s philosophy of creating airports with a true sense of place, we set out to create an experience that could not happen anywhere else, that could only happen in New York,” he commented.
Image credits clockwise from top left: Tom Jamieson, Brad Torchia, Dario Lagana, Austin Sandhaus, Jonah Reenders, Christopher Garcia Valle, White Cube (Fabrice Gousset)
According to the Port Authority, the seven artists are internationally recognized. Three live and work in New York City. Their work for the airport will include:
- Yinka Shonibare’s Kites for Queens – an installation that will include nine hand-painted Dutch wax batik kites;
- Kelly Akashi’s Migration of Flora– a 5.5m sculpture depicting native flowers rising from a bronze hand;
- Tomás Saraceno’s Cloud Cities New York– a suspended sculpture with forms that shift with the changing light of day;
- Ilana Savdie’s Egregoros – a mosaic mural will evoke the past, present and future of New York’s people;
- Julie Curtiss’ New York Hands – a mosaic featuring oversized hands clutching iconic foods and cultural symbols;
- Firelei Báez’s Blue Calaibi–Yao Muzidi – a monumental mural layering sea flora and swimming figures over historic maps of the city at critical junctures in American history;
- Woody De Othello’s The City That Never Sleeps – a sculpture series of watches, payphones and streetlamps atop the baggage claim carousels, welcoming passengers to the city.
Filmmaking and digital experiences
The New Terminal One will feature a series of films displayed in each holdroom, titled Love Letters to New York, offering travelers a final glimpse of the city.
But the Port Authority says the defining feature of the new terminal will be an immersive media experience in the departure hall, named Leaving New York. Dynamic displays flanking the walls alongside and overhead the security queue will show the different ways people have departed from New York over the ages.
The New Terminal One is a key component of the US$19bn investment program to upgrade JFK, which includes the construction of two new terminals, the modernizations and expansion of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation center and a new simplified road network.
In related news, three more New York brands added to JFK T6 food and beverage line-up