We uncover the hidden gems of airports: public art. Explore the ways airports are embracing creativity and providing a unique art experience to travelers.
Airports may be bustling global transportation hubs that many of us hurry through as quickly as possible, but if you take a few minutes to slow down, you just might see a great work of art or two. An increasing number of air port facilities around the globe are transforming their vast spaces into venues for creativity and inspiration by integrating public art. The results can often be truly impressive.
Public art in airports provides visual stimulation and awakens the mind; it’s an ideal complement to the monotony of travel routines. For many passengers, it may be nothing more than a place of transition between destinations, but public art offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of creativity.
There are lots of places to appreciate art in airports. In California, for example, travelers passing through San Francisco International Airport (flysfo.com) can view art throughout the terminals, thanks to two different programs: one that operates in partnership with the San FranciscoArtsCom mission and the other through the airport’s own SFO Museum (sfomuse um.org). The SFO museum, in fact, showcases artwork and even pays tribute to the LGBTQ+ community in the form of an exhibit dedicated to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the state. Another noteworthy work of art at the San Francisco airport include “Héroes del Brillo,” a visual reminder by Federico Estol of the challenges that many people face in their pursuit of dignity and respect.
Harvey Milk Exhibit at SFO (Photo by San Francisco International Airport)
Further south, Los Angeles International Airport (flylax.com) exhibits art as part of the Los Angeles World Airports Art Program (fly lax.com/art-program), with large works like “The View from Above” by the Lazzari and Evans Public Art Design Team, which depicts a view of the Los Angeles coastline, divided into three panels, and “Sleepers #1- 6,” a work by Bia Gayotto that consists of photos of couples of different nationalities taken over the course of one night’s sleep. In Washington State, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is home to a robust public art program with more than 100 pieces in its growing collection. Among the works is “Chalchiuhtlicue,” a massive group of colorful sculptures by Marela Zacarías that reference the rich colors of various parts of the Olympic peninsula.
Seattle-Tacoma Airport All-Gender Restroom (Photo by Port of Seattle)
An increasing number of airport facilities around the globe are transforming their vast spaces into venues for creativity and inspiration by integrating public art. The results can often be truly impressive.
Further north, in Alaska, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (dot.alaska.gov/anc) offers travelers an opportunity to learn more about Alaska Native artistry with its interesting exhibits that explore the region’s culture, traditions, and creativity. And in Arizona, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (skyharbor.com) is home to a “Diversity in the Desert” exhibit, which includes 40 recently acquired artworks by contemporary Arizona artists and others in various media, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
Suitcase Portaits at San Antonio AIrport (Photo by Chuck Ramirez)
Midwestern airports with sizeable art exhibits include Chicago O’Hare International Airport (flychicago.com/ohare), where travelers passing through Terminal 5 can view a $3.5 million public art commission that is the city’s largest single acquisition of works by Chicago artists in the last 30 years. Among the new commissions is “Del Otro Lado /The Other Side,” which features 17 original works on display in the International Arrivals Corridor. Additional art exhibits, both permanent and temporary, are on exhibit in all of O’Hare’s terminals. Nearby, Midway International Airport (flychicago.com/midway), also has interesting artwork on display, as part of Chicago’s Public Art Program, including Richard Hunt’s “Flight Forms,” an engaging, upward sweeping sculpture that evokes the concept of flight. In Texas, Houston Airports claims to have one of the largest public art collections in the aviation industry, with more than 350 pieces worth some $28 million, and they were about to add 12 new commissioned pieces to the collection as of press time. Among the works at Houston Hobby Airport (fly2houston.com) are ethereal images of clouds above the boarding gates. Elsewhere in the state, San Antonio International Airport (flysanantonio.com) features engaging works like “Suitcase Portraits,” a whimsical creation (using, you guessed it, suitcases) by Chuck Ramirez, and “Nostalgia, Texas,” a “neo-retro” collection of tourist posters by Gary Sweeney.
In Colorado, Denver International Airport (flydenver.com) has an art collection that includes 24 large-scale installations and 230 individual works, including “Kinetic Air Light Curtain” by Antonette Rosato and William Maxwell and “Mustang” by Luis A. Jimenez, Jr.
In the eastern United States, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey showcases several interesting exhibits at all three of its major airports. Newark Liberty International Airport’s (newarkairport.com) new Terminal A, for example, exhibits work by 29 local artists. Among the striking works on exhibit at the airport are “Approach,” a sculpture by Philadelphia-based artist Karyn Olivier, and “Between the Future Past” by Layqa Nuna Yawar who was born in Ecuador and is now based in Newark.
JFK Terminal 8 in NYC (Photo by pio3)
LaGuardia Airport (laguardiaairport.com), meanwhile, has partnered with the Queens Museum to curate its public art, which includes a large mural by Lauren Owen and the vibrant “LaGuardia Vistas” by German visual artist Sabine Hornig.
In the Sunshine State, Tampa International Airport (tampaairport.com) is home to a decidedly Instagrammable work of art: “Phoebe,” a 21-foot-tall pink flamingo created by Matthew Mazzotta. And at Columbia, South Carolina’s Columbia Metropolitan Airport (flycae.com), you can check out everything from abstract paintings to fantasy floorplans of fictional television series.
Phoebe at Tampa Airport (Photo by Matthew Mazzotta)
In Tennessee, Memphis International Airport (flymemphis.com) opened a new concourse in 2022 that exhibits 61 pieces, including a large, suspended sculpture, a mixed-media mural, and a permanent exhibition of work by local artists as well as rotating exhibits. The airport also has 20 pieces from the Belz Collection of Asian and Judaic art.
Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (Photo by Groupe ADP)
Airports around the globe are celebrating creativity on an international scale. At Paris Charles de Gaulle, airport authorities partner with French cultural institutions to create varied art exhibits; there’s so much to see (and so much changing) that they maintain a site with details that you can review before your next visit to see what’s on (www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passen gers/services/experiences-entertainment/our-exhibitions).
“Les Oiseaux” at
Changi AIrport in Singapore (Photo by Changi Airport Group)
In the Middle East, Doha Hamas International Airport in Doha, exhibits some thought-provoking works, including Urs Fischer’s “Lamp Bear” and the striking sculpture “A Message of Peace to the World,” created by Iraqi artist Ahmed Al Bahrani. The Doha airport is also home to The Orchard, a large nature space that blends design with lush greenery. In Asia, Singapore’s Changi Airport knows how to capture travelers’ attention with a variety of eye-catching works. Among the most interesting are “Les Oiseaux (The Birds),” a group of suspended sculptures by French artist Cedric Le Borgne, “Coming Home,” a massive sculpture by Chinese artist Han Meilin that evokes the importance of family, and “Kinetic Rain,” which was created by a group of artists, programmers, and technologists and consists of 1,216 bronze “droplets” suspended from the ceiling in Terminal 1.
Wherever you travel, you are likely to see more and more fascinating works of art in airports all over the world. These spaces are perfect for large-scale exhibitions, as well as great venues to showcase the creativity of local artists.
