JEPPE HEIN
ALL YOUR WISHES
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK, USPERMANENT INSTALLATION SINCE 2020
Commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B.
Dozens of colourful and reflective balloon-shaped steel sculptures are distributed throughout La Guardia Airport’s Terminal B as if released into the air and allowed to float to the ceiling in defiance of gravity. Dispersed around every corner like a fairy-tale breadcrumb trail, the brilliantly playful balloons invite viewers to look skyward and embrace their sense of wonder.
At floor level, three witty and whimsical bench sculptures reinvent a familiar form of public seating, turning a functional object into a lyrical and evocative work of art. The bright red benches curve, loop, and twist to form an irresistible invitation to spontaneous expression and social connection. Providing a moment of respite to countless travelers, the benches offer new perspectives on ourselves, each other, and the spaces we have in common. The two forms of ‘social sculpture’ installed in Terminal B were conceived with a sincere intent: to spark joy, alter perceptions, open the viewer to new experiences, and create the conditions that foster moments of empathy and fellowship amidst the hustle of a busy transit hub.
ALL YOUR WISHES, 2020PVD-coated stainless steel (balloons); powder-coated aluminum (benches)
70 MIRROR BALLOONS, each 43 x 28 x 28 cm
3 MODIFIED SOCIAL BENCHES 74 x 245 x 57 cm; 167 x 539 x 162 cm; 84 x 168 x 40 cm
© Courtesy KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin, 303 Gallery, New York and Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, LaGuardia Gateway Partners and Public Art Fund
© Images Nicholas Knight