Client: Tampa International Airport

Location: Tampa, FL, United States

Completion date: 2023

Artwork budget: $520,000

Project Team

Lead artist

Matthew Mazzotta

Client

Tampa International Airport

Collaborator

Sujin Lim

Collaborator

Stephanie Yeung

Collaborator

Daniel Shieh

Collaborator

Yalun Li

Collaborator

Alayna Davidson

Collaborator

Vaissnavi Shukl

Overview

Flights arrive and depart from Tampa International Airport, full of travelers leaving their homes, returning back home, going to a new home, or simply to a place that feels like home. The concept of “home” is not only for people—Florida is also home to an abundance of wildlife.

HOME is a site-specific art installation that gives travelers time and space to take a deeper look at a bird whose image appears across Florida—the flamingo. This floor-to-ceiling immersive installation gives viewers the impression they are underwater with the flamingo as it looks for food. The exaggerated scale of this pink bird transports us into its world and reminds us that we all share the same home.

Goals

The scale of HOME is designed to be an exciting experience close up, as well as seen from the many vantage points throughout the entire terminal. The overall effect is one of wonder, contemplation, reflection, and amusement, bringing joy to those passing through the terminal on their way to their destination. Designed as a spectacle to restore the interaction missing from this area of the airport, HOME draws people into this immersive experience, where they will find themselves bathed in changing lights, posing with giant birds, sharing photos, and enjoying being together in this whimsical and otherworldly atmosphere.