LAX SHOWCASES DIVERSE TALENTS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS WITH NEW INSTALLATIONS

Artworks Welcome Guests and Celebrate the Rich Tapestry of Los Angeles’s Creative Community

Deborah Aschheim, “365 Days of Voters,” installation view. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports.

The Voice of Chandigarh| Travel Trade Reporter : With Memorial Day marking the start of a busy summer travel season at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), newly installed artworks add to the travel experience for passengers. Featuring a variety of mediums and themes – from nature to history to human experiences – the works add to a collection of 23 temporary and 10 permanent installations across the airport. These diverse artistic expressions enrich the physical spaces of the terminals while embodying the vibrant cultural tapestry of Los Angeles itself. As travelers embark on their journeys or return home, they are invited to pause, reflect and engage with the stories and creativity present in each work.

“The influx of Memorial Day weekend passengers and the beginning of the summer travel season corresponds well with the opening of LAX’s newest exhibitions. We remain steadfast in our commitment to offer travelers more than just a journey, providing them with experiences of the very best that L.A. has to offer,” said Mike Christensen, Interim Chief Development Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. “LAX’s art program not only beautifies our terminals, it underscores the way in which LAX is a cultural destination in its own right.”

Since the summer of 2023, ticketed passengers and airport employees have enjoyed unimpeded pedestrian access across LAX’s terminals and the ability to conveniently journey between Terminals 1 and 8 post-security. This new airside connectivity provides access to the airport’s entire art program as well as connecting flights, lounges, concessions and other amenities.

“Refreshing exhibitions at the airport regularly means that passengers and employees have an opportunity to immerse themselves in new narratives and perspectives from Los Angeles’s diverse communities, while also enjoying cherished favorites on permanent view,” said Sarah Cifarelli, Art Program Director, LAX. “We are proud to showcase the rich cultural fabric of the City through LAX’s art program, creating memorable moments for all who pass through our terminals.”

Terminals 1 and 2, Connecting Hallway, Post-Security

“Flora (Flores amplificati)” by Laura Hull

L.A.-based artist Laura Hull captures the diverse floral beauty of the Los Angeles basin while also referencing the rich abundance of cultures that make up the region’s populace in her immersive photomural titled “Flora (Flores amplificati).” For the installation, Hull digitally manipulated and layered photographs of plant life commonly found in Southern California to create a digital mural printed on vinyl. Blossoms from the imported South American jacaranda (jacaranda mimosifolia) and the native Saint Catherine’s lace (eriogonum giganteum) are elaborately intertwined, energizing the walls of the passageway that connects Terminals 1 and 2 post-security. As LAX passengers move through the space, the surrounding abundance of dense, towering growth momentarily envelopes them and resonates with LAX’s superbloom, an annual phenomenon that happens each spring following heavy rains where swaths of wildflowers bloom in the grassy, unpaved sections of LAX’s runways.

“Flora (Flores amplificati)” is on view to the public through spring 2025.

Terminal 2, Arrivals Level, Baggage Claim, Pre-Security

“365 Days of Voters” by Deborah Aschheim

Originating as a part of L.A.-based artist Deborah Aschheim’s 2019-2020 Creative Strategist/Artist-in-Residence for the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk, “365 Days of Voters” is a collection of over 500 hand-drawn portraits of voters and future voters. As Artist-in-Residence at the CS/AIR program, Aschheim used art as outreach to register and energize voters across L.A. County, the largest and most diverse electoral district in the U.S. For the work, Aschheim also drew people she met throughout Los Angeles including at the zoo, on high school and college campuses, Pride events, resource fairs, Homeless Connect, immigration and naturalization ceremonies and polling and voting centers. Select drawings from the artist’s “Milestones” series add to themes Aschheim explored in the “365 Days of Voters” portraits. These drawings depict milestones in voting rights in America and were inspired by historic photographs, used with permission, from archives across the U.S.

Aschheim’s project extends to social media where drawings and stories of over 757 people are viewable on Instagram @365daysofvoters.

“365 Days of Voters” is on view to the public through spring 2025.

“Re-Iterative II,” guest curated by John David O’Brien and presented by the LAX Art Program. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports.

Tom Bradley International Terminal, Level 4, Pre-Security 

“Re-Iterative II,” Guest curated by John David O’Brien and presented by the LAX Art Program

This group exhibition features Los Angeles-based artists who explore interconnected thoughts on the art-making process through related works. “Re-Iterative II” illustrates how contemporary artists articulate concept development via different versions of the same format as opposed to a more traditional approach of graduating from one dimension to the next. The intention is to show how even slight variations can represent an extensive exploration of one original idea. “Re-Iterative II” includes artwork by Wendy Adest, Edgar Arceneaux, Stephen Douglas, Joshua Holzmann, John David O’Brien, Rebecca Ripple, Steve Roden and Shirley Tse.

“Re-Iterative II” is on view to the public through spring 2025.

Serge Sarkis, “Mayor Tom Bradley,” installation view. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports.

“Mayor Tom Bradley” by Serge Sarkis

Located at the entrance to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) since 1987, Serge Sarkis’s patinated cast bronze and granite sculpture was removed in 2020 to facilitate the construction of the TBIT Vertical Core. During this period, the work underwent a patina restoration and conservation process overseen by the LAX Art Program, with assistance from the teams at Modern Art Foundry, Carnevale & Lohr and Sculpture Conservation Studio. Following the recent completion of the TBIT Vertical Core, the sculpture is now installed at a site specifically designed to showcase the work, where the sculpture greets guests and employees.

“Mayor Tom Bradley” is on permanent view to the public.