Fort Lauderdale airport travelers may catch some vacation vibes at the sight of seven brightly colored bird sculptures that resemble large pool floats.
And in another striking, dreamlike pop of art, they would see more than 100 ship and sailboat models drifting overhead — forming a “dazzling current of color and motion.”
These two exhibits are the latest ones envisioned for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, each aiming to represent the region’s seaside culture.
Broward has a long-standing commitment to integrating art into public spaces, bringing “visual and experiential elements into high-traffic areas like government buildings and transportation hubs,” a county spokesperson said Thursday in a statement. “These installations are intended to enhance the traveler experience while showcasing local and regional artists.”
Here’s a look at the planned artwork.
Bird-shaped floats
One display, titled “Last Dip,” would pair large bird-like pool floats — stationed across a future airport walkway — with layered sculptural “waves” extending from where the floor meets one wall.
In documents, the artist, Mark Reigelman, said his project was inspired by a tradition he and his daughters shared while traveling: taking a “last dip” in the pool before departing for home. He added that he hopes to capture that sensation for travelers moving through the airport, since they’ll be able to sit on the float rings.
“That spontaneous joy and bittersweet sense of departure is something many travelers associate with destinations like Fort Lauderdale,” the documents state. “When filled with passengers, the installation comes alive as a playful tableau of people taking their own ‘last dip’ before boarding.”
The float rings would be large enough to each seat five adults.
Reigelman’s “Last Dip” would be located between terminals two and three, along a new walkway that’s planned.
Kipp Kobayashi’s “The Mariner’s Dream” would bring hanging sailboats to a corridor at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It would consist of over 100 colorful ship and sailboat models suspended overhead with steel cables. (Broward County, courtesy)
A ‘dreamlike passage’
Kipp Kobayashi’s “The Mariner’s Dream” will bring hanging sailboats to a new corridor. It will consist of over 100 colorful ship and sailboat models suspended overhead with steel cables.
“Inspired by Fort Lauderdale’s maritime heritage and the vibrant ecosystems of its surrounding waters, this installation transforms the airport connector into an immersive aquatic journey,” Kobayashi wrote in a project concept statement.
Because travelers will pass by large windows stretching across a walkway’s walls, the installation will extend the “aquarium-like atmosphere.”
“The fleet drifts like a school of fish, bridging two worlds: the city’s legacy of boating, trade, and exploration, and the natural marine life that defines its coastlines,” Kobayashi wrote. “As travelers move through the corridor, they experience a fluid, dreamlike passage that celebrates both human ingenuity and rhythms of the sea.”
This art would be located between terminals one and two, also along a new walkway that’s planned.
Kobayashi and Reigelman were selected from an applicant pool of 372 artists who answered national calls to artists, according to county documents. The artwork would debut as part of a string of improvements in the works for the airport.