Client: San Diego International Airport

Location: San Diego, CA, United States

Artwork budget: $875,000

Project Team

Artist

Nikalous Hafermaas

Ueberall International

Industry Resource

Jeano Erforth

E Ink

Other

Lauren Lockhart

San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

Overview

Designed to respond to the unique faceted geometry of the Rental Car Center, DAZZLE, by Ueberall International, is a monumental public art installation that transforms the structure into a dynamic mural. The artists drew inspiration from a form of ship camouflage used in World War I that was intended to alter the perception of ships to the enemy by visually scrambling their shapes and outlines. The artwork uses ground-breaking, sustainable technology called to present animations that travel back and forth across the 1600 linear foot façade to evoke water ripples, moving traffic, dancing snowflakes and shifting dazzle patterns.

Goals

Goals for integration of this artwork within the architecture, the airport environment, and the larger San Diego community which experiences the work everyday, was critical to its success. The artist conceived of the piece in response to the geometry of the facade, and designed the shape and patterning of the e-paper tiles to maximize the illusion of movement across the building.

Process

This project required a close collaboration between the artist, airport staff from various departments, technology partner E Ink, and varied stakeholders from the surrounding community due to the highly public facing nature of the piece. As e-paper has never been used on this architectural scale before DAZZLE, E Ink partnered with the artist to adapt the technology for this new application.

Additional Information

This work is highly sustainable, as each of the more than 2000 e-paper tiles is powered by two solar panels. The artists created more than 20 original and distinct animations that play across the facade throughout the day.