Luggage Thoughts

2025
Aluminum, Steel, CORAFOAM, & Split-Flap Units

I created four kinetic works of art for the New Pittsburgh International Airport baggage claim platforms, numbers 1 through 4. Each vibrant artwork features an oversized piece of luggage with a playful thought bubble floating above it. These thought bubbles share ever-changing messages, offering a glimpse into the whimsical inner musings of each suitcase. The split-flap technology gently rotates the text, evoking the nostalgic sights and sounds that so many travelers fondly remember from bustling transportation hubs of years past.

More Images and video to come!

Credits:
This work was made as part of the Terminal Modernization Program for PIT Transformed and the new Pittsburgh International Airport. Special thanks to the following wonderful individuals who made this work possible:

Renee Piechocki, Art Consultant to ACAA
Keny Marshall, Manager of Arts and Culture, ACAA

Stephen Streibig, Lead Fabricator and Installation Team Leader at Iontank. He and his team fabricated the sculptures and integrated the split-flap technology into the final thought balloons.

Sean Rossiter, Kristy Nicolo, and Jon Salmon at Oat Foundry LLC for the incredible guidance, engineering, fabrication, and assistance with the integration of the custom split-flap units.

Ray Appleby at Technique Architectural Products for fabricating the metal luggage componentCs.