Permanent Public Artwork Unveiled at Mineta San José International Airport
“Threshold” – an exploration of creation through technology and aesthetic
Threshold : Nest
SAN JOSE, Calif. The City of San José and Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) welcome the installation of a new artwork in the pre-security Arrivals Hall of Terminal B. The work is by Philip Beesley & Living Architecture Systems Group.
The artwork – Threshold – is a pair of sculptures enclosed in glass display cases, flanking the airport’s arrival hall. The artwork offers a dream-like display of crystalline rays, clouds, and nest-like forms, composed of more than sixty thousand individually crafted sculptural elements. New kinds of digital fabrication were invented in the artist’s studio for this work, including innovative heating and laser-cutting techniques. Intertwined throughout the sculpture are clusters of small glass orbs, filled with prototype liquids used by researchers investigating near-living cells, that reflect the surrounding colorful bustle of the airport.
“The Airport is excited to offer travelers such compelling art as they arrive and depart the Bay Area through San José,” said John Aitken, Director of Aviation at SJC. “We are always looking for ways to enrich the airport experience for travelers and tap into the ingenuity of Silicon Valley. Threshold does just that, and we appreciate the investments at our airport in support of the arts.”
Threshold : Nest Detail
“Threshold is an exquisite addition to the City’s permanent public art collection, exemplifying innovation at the intersection of art and technology,” says Kerry Adams Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs. “The artwork will enrapture airport visitors.”
Artist Philip Beesley said: “Nature and technology are intertwined within this artwork. Threshold offers a new kind of gateway to Silicon Valley.”
About the City of San José
With more than one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 10th largest city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world. In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a long-term growth plan that sets forth a vision and a comprehensive road map to guide the City’s anticipated growth through the year 2040.
About Mineta San José International Airport (SJC)
Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) is Silicon Valley’s airport, a self‐supporting enterprise owned and operated by the City of San José. The airport, now in its 72nd year, served nearly 15.7 million passengers in 2019, with nonstop service across North America and to Europe and Asia. For more airport information, visit https://www.flysanjose.com.
About the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs
The Office of Cultural Affairs is the City’s lead agency for supporting and promoting the development of a rich arts and cultural environment for this diverse city’s one million residents, its workers who live in neighboring communities, and its many visitors. It fosters cultural development through cultural funding programs, cultural workforce development, specials event services, and public art. For more information, visit www.sanjoseculture.org.
About Philip Beesley and Living Architecture Systems Group
Philip Beesley and Living Architecture Systems Group are a interdisciplinary artist studio located Toronto, Canada. Specializing in architectural design of public buildings, public art and experimental installations, their work is focused on immersive textile environments, landscape installations and intricate geometric structures Projects are developed at widely varying scales from urban design to personal couture, using cycles of multidisciplinary experimentation and implementation. The studio’s design methods combine the durable crafts of heavy machining and building with advanced digital visualization, industrial design, digital prototyping, electronics and mechanical engineering. More information on the collaborative artist team can be found at www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com and www.lasg.ca.
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