Public Art Picked for Trades District

Night view of O.T. 987

Stefan Reiss, a Berlin-based artist, will be creating new public art for the Bloomington Trades District. The work will be located at the intersection of 10th and Madison streets, on the Gateway Plaza of the city’s 12-acre technology park. 
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A review panel from the Bloomington Public Arts Commission selected the work – called O.T. 987 – from over 70 applicants. It will be Reiss' first U.S. installation. His proposal was chosen after a four-week public comment period, which yielded more than 350 comments on five finalists.

The budget is between $80,000 and $100,000. Funding comes from Bloomington’s Percent for the Arts Ordinance (Chapter 2.12.021 of Bloomington’s Municipal Code), which stipulates that at least 1% of construction costs for eligible capital projects be used for public art at that or another site. 

Reiss describes O.T. 987 this way: 

The basis of O.T. 987 are four independent lines in the basic colours red, yellow and blue, supplemented by white, which move through space in four strands as three-dimensional signs. The individual colour lines seem to repeat themselves, but still form an individual course, overlapping and creating spaces in between. Each side of the sculpture surprises with a completely new view. During the day, the basic colours plus white determine the entire sculpture.

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The sculpture consists of square tubes, one side of each element being fitted with Plexiglas in the same colour. LEDs are installed in the square tubes, which are activated and controlled by a computer in the dark. A programmed choreography of the LEDs is played over a fixed period of time (e.g. 30 min.) and brings the sculpture to life at night.
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During the day, the colors red, yellow and blue, or white, are separate, overlapping color strands. During the nocturnal LED programming, the luminous individual colours are transformed into exciting nuances, the light now mixes and illuminates in different shades, the basic colours are joined by new shades that create a special colour spectrum with the natural surroundings.

 The installation will likely be in place within 12 to 18 months. Click here to learn more about the artist.
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There is currently a vacancy on the Bloomington Public Arts Commission. Click here to apply.

Aerial map of the Trades District's Gateway Plaza.