Client: Simon Property Group

Overview

A four hundred-foot-long suspended sculpture floats high above the Indianapolis Circle Centre Dining Pavilion. “Kawaakari: River of Light” was inspired by rivers and their surface reflections. The artwork is made of stainless-steel tubing and wire netting, and over twelve thousand colored lenses. Flowing like a river, its winding form weaves between tall columns as light bouncing off the lenses, creates thousands of colored reflections, enlivening countless surfaces within the space.

Goals

To invite and welcome guests into the mall’s open atrium space and encourage them to explore radiating corridors to stores, tech area and arts center. Guests entering the public area by escalator from floors below look up and see above them a swirling ribbon of light. The artwork winds playfully like a river high above dining guests before tapering and dipping at one end towards a new tech area and art center entrance below.

Process

The artist collaborated closely with architects and owners, lighting engineers and aerial installers as well as his fabricator, bo-mar Industries to translate his vision with clarity. The team used an augmented reality headset and software to envision and troubleshoot this ambitious installation

Additional Information

“I have been exploring Indiana rivers for almost 30 years. I love their sinuous movement through the land and the indescribably beautiful quality of light on the water’s surface. The twists and turns remind me of life; shaped by setbacks and success and the light, with all the colors it contains, fills me with joy.” - Arlon Bayliss