About this Art Collection
Terminal 1, Heritage Food Hall, Upper Level (post-security)
Materials: Custom light fixtures with programmable LED-lights
Suspended above the dining area, this site-specific sculpture by artist Erwin Redl features 104 custom-designed LED light fixtures. Together, these fixtures form a luminous, colorful canopy—a dazzling chandelier that can also synchronize with music. Known for his large-scale light installations, Redl transforms the terminal into a vibrant, immersive environment through ever-changing sequences of color, intensity, and pattern.
Vessel of Light features a key design element: its shape. The fixtures are formed in patterns of double triangles, inspired by traditional basketry motifs of Indigenous tribes native to this region, including the Luiseño, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Kumeyaay, and Northern Diegueño peoples. By merging cultural heritage with digital innovation, the artwork invites us to reflect on tradition, continuity, and transformation.
Erwin Redl:
Austrian-born artist Erwin Redl uses LEDs as a primary artistic medium, creating works that transform interior and exterior spaces. Working in both two and three dimensions, Redl often draws on his background in music and composition, as reflected in this installation. His work has been exhibited internationally and is included in museum collections all over the world. Redl has also completed major public commissions for the New York Police Academy and San Francisco’s Union Square/Market Street subway station.
