LED “Bubbles” by Grimanesa Amorós

The graceful undulations of LED tubing compose a striking display in the windows of 125 Maiden Lane at the heart of New York City’s financial district. The latest sculpture in Grimanesa Amorós’s most recent body of work, the installation plays on the artist’s signature “bubble” sculptures while providing a new mode of exploring her longstanding interest in lighting effects and diffusive materials. For Amorós, the work conveys ties to her birthplace of Peru, with bubble shapes recalling man-made islands in Lake Titicaca and LED tubes referencing distinctive reeds that grow in the northern reaches of the country. Such references inspire her intuitive process of formulating site-specific works. Here, a structural grid against the back wall echoes the building’s monumental windows and acts as a spine for the seemingly weightless swirls of light. A dynamic pattern activates LEDs in four shades of white and a golden yellow. At night, the sweeping and curving work reflects off the marble walls, steel ceiling, and windows to create a hypnotic illumination.
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