After the city of Jackson, MS completed its new convention center, they issued a national call for public art for their new complex. NunoErin's proposal, Kinetic Vapor, was recently selected as the winning entry and building will begin presently.
Kinetic Vapor is an artwork inspired by an invisible icon of Mississippi's landscape, water vapor. Atmospheric vapor is a humble and familiar aspect of the Mississippi climate, yet it brings great drama and ethereal beauty to the state's landscape. Warm steam rising off the land is an image many Mississippians have of home and an emotive reference of where they come from. Kinetic Vapor proposes a high-tech sense place through its exploration of nature and identity.
The artwork will be a dynamic 300' x 9' installation of light, color, and aluminum inspired by Mississippi's unique atmosphere. This monumental landscape will be composed of 500,000 reflective tabs that are cut out of aluminum panels and tilted to reveal an image of atmospheric water vapor. The aluminum panels will be lit from below by LEDs that graze the three-dimensional surface with color-shifting light effects that express the rich color of Mississippi's landscape and create movement inspired by water vapor currents.
Kinetic Vapor offers the pubic an interactive way to experience Mississippi's sultry atmosphere and colorful landscape. As visitors move around the artwork, the imagery of vapor currents will appear to subtly shift and change. This kinetic effect is designed to personalize the art experience and offer visitors an opportunity to become active participants in the creative process.
The Kinetic Vapor artwork will bring an expressive nighttime signature to the Jackson Convention Complex. The artwork's colorful glow will flow through the building's glass curtain and activate the exterior grounds encouraging a public gathering space where citizens can congregate and socialize before or after events. The artwork's colorful pulse will resonate with a diverse audience and will serve as an urban reference
point for the general public.