Making waves to shine a light on Milwaukee
The vision was elevation: an aerial installation suspended outside the state-of-the-art Baird Ballroom. Something that would greet guests as they entered and exited events, the Milwaukee skyline gleaming behind it.
That vision was entrusted to Design Fugitives, a three-person Milwaukee-based art studio known for its large-scale aerial sculptures. Collaborating closely with the architectural team—who were designing the ballroom’s soaring ceiling and the building’s expansive exterior glass walls—and with the Wisconsin Center District, they set out to create something that would make a statement, something that reflected more than just light.
Tuan Tran, one of the partners for Design Fugitives, mentioned that during the design process there was a lot of talk about Milwaukee being a hub of activities and that the city and state took so much of their identities from being in close proximity to the Great Lakes. In many ways the people of the community are inspired by those things.
That inspiration led to the creation of Rays Over Wisconsin, a striking addition to the We Energies Foundation Art Collection. Representing water—an element that belongs to the earth and sky alike—posed a creative challenge. How does one capture its movement and energy while suspended in air?
Studying the patterns of Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, the team translated waves and light into sculptural form. The result is a design composed of five layers, each representing one of the Great Lakes, accented by vibrant color fins that ripple like water in motion.
“Water is very important to a lot of the activities in the area,” Tran said. “The different layers, and the rays shooting out from them, is representative of the form waves take. They also speak to the energy of the city of Milwaukee and the vibrancy that it has.”
Now hanging outside the Baird Ballroom, Rays Over Wisconsin has quickly become a favorite among guests, especially when the sunlight catches it just right.
“We thought about how there could be vibrance and color in the piece and that’s what you see in the color fins,” Tran said. “We expect that on a good spring or fall day with the low sun, this piece is really going to pop and liven up the space by a lot.”
Rays Over Wisconsin is part of the We Energies Foundation Art Collection located at Baird Center. Design Fugitives is one of the thirty-three artists and studios, most from Milwaukee, Wisconsin or with special ties to the area, who have works featured in the collection. You can discover more about the artists and their works at https://bairdcenter.com/art-collection/.