All about the 2021 Exhibit Columbus Installations
Now open through November 28, 2021 Exhibit Columbus, New Middles, showcases thirteen temporary outdoor public art installations around downtown Columbus Indiana. Designed by a global group of architects, designers, artists and high school students, each piece is constructed by fabricators local to Columbus, elsewhere in Indiana and sometimes beyond.
Download the free Columbus IN Tours app for Apple and Android to take an audio tour of Exhibit Columbus. Maps, a youth activity guide, and more info is available at the Columbus Visitors Center, the Bartholomew County Public Library, Baker’s Gifts, and Viewpoint Books.
All photos courtesy Exhibit Columbus / Hadley Fruits
2021 Miller Prize Recipient Installations
Columbus Columbia Colombo Colón by Dream the Combine (Minneapolis, MN) is located in Mill Race Park. Comprised of a vertical field of 24-foot aluminum poles, this installation represents places all over the world, named for Christopher Columbus.
Cloudroom by Ecosistema Urbano (Miami and Madrid, Spain) is situated at Central Middle School. This piece features an enormous inflatable canopy that rests on a 12-foot tall wood-frame structure. The shade this installation provides creates an open-air classroom or a cool public spot to reflect.
Midnight Palace by Future Firm (Chicago, IL) located at 4th and Brown Streets. Featuring over 200 light bulbs fitted into an ornate latticework of electrical conduit, this wall of light is inspired by the light bulbs from the historic streets of Columbus. A tribute to drive-in theaters, a series of screens provide the medium for evening programs in collaboration with Yes Cinema.
Archival/Revival by Olalekan Jeyifous (Brooklyn, NY) is positioned at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library Plaza. This structure features 10-foot tall, large colorful panels integrated with functioning stage platforms and seating. Each wooden panel represents key figures and images from the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archive.
Alternative Instruments by Sam Jacob Studio (London, England) is situated along Washington Street. Inclusive of three sculptures, colorful images, symbols, languages and alphabets come together to tell stories. Design elements are varied and include roadside signage, ancient devices and textiles.
2021 University and High School Installations
Tracing Our Mississippi by Derek Hoeferlin (Washington University, St. Louis, MO) at the Columbus Upland Pumphouse is a model of the vast Mississippi Watershed.
To Middle Species, With Love by Joyce Hwang (University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY) at Mill Race Park is comprised of nine 14-foot tall bat houses. Each habitat provides shelter for bats, birds, amphibians and reptiles – referred to as “middle species” – living in the Mississippi watershed.
LaWaSo Ground by Jei Jeeyea Kim (Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana) at First Christian Church. Made from Indiana limestone, this contemporary structure features walls, steps, seating and a tower.
Spectral by Ersela Kripa and Stephen Mueller (Texas Tech University, El Paso, Texas) at the Crump Theater. This installation features a stackable self-structural module made of aluminum composite.
Window Dressing by Ang Li (Northeastern University, Boston, MA) uses The Commons building facade, downtown Columbus on Washington Street, as her canvas. A forty-foot tall section is covered with a metallic silver mylar film.
This Appearance is__________. by Lola Sheppard and Mason White (University of Toronto, (Toronto, Canada and Waterloo University, Waterloo, Ontario) is situated at 6th and Washington Streets. The curved lenticular plastic panels create the illusion that people “disappear” when they step behind the seemingly transparent panels, while larger objects in the distance remain visible.
Calibrate by Natalie Bates (Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana) is located at Franklin Square.
Calibrate is an aluminum and acrylic apparatus for registering and perceiving accumulated environmental data from Columbus and its surrounding area.
Tunnel Vision by a team of students from Columbus’ three high schools is located at Central Middle School. This installation’s geodesic tunnel presents a linear experience that transports visitors through Columbus’ architectural history.
Exhibit Columbus is an exploration of architecture, art, design and community that showcases the design legacy of Columbus Indiana. Each of the thirteen art installations is located outdoors, in or around downtown Columbus, and is free for the public to experience.
All photos courtesy Exhibit Columbus / Hadley Fruits
