Matthew Mazzotta, 'Home', @ Tampa International Airport

Considering the opportunity to put a large scale VR installation in the castle led me to researching artists who have done similar.

The first artist that came to mind was Matthew Mazzotta.

Taken from his press release:

"Matthew Mazzotta has worked at the intersection of art, activism, and urbanism, focusing on

the power of the built environment to shape our relationships and experiences. Matthew

Mazzotta’s public projects have received international art and architecture awards such as the

Architizer A+ Award, Azure’s AZ Award, The WAN Award, and six of his projects have been

recognized by the Americans for the Arts. He has won four of the major international

Architecture awards, as well as, “Architecture Project of the Year” by the Dezeen Awards at the

Tate Modern in London. 

Flights arrive and depart from Tampa International Airport, full of travellers 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 travellers 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.”

Looking up, the viewer sees a ceiling made of a specialized surface that mimics water, while

hidden projectors create water-like dappling light on the bird and floor. 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.

HOME draws people into this immersive experience, where they will find themselves bathed in

changing lights, posing with a giant bird, sharing photos, and enjoying being together in this

whimsical and otherworldly atmosphere.

Earlier this year, the big pink bird was named Phoebe after an international naming contest with

65,000 entries worldwide."

More information about his work can be found at https://www.matthewmazzotta.com/