The arrival corridor at O’Hare’s International Terminal 5 could be perceived as a “non-place,” which in this context could appear universal—it could be anywhere. But it was important for us to highlight that this corridor is also a specific place, with a particular use. The corridor is the first place that travelers will see when arriving in Chicago, a place that welcomes new visitors or welcomes back home Chicago residents. But this corridor is also a place of transit where passengers will move —in only one direction — to get to customs. The journey to customs can be emotional and politically charged for many, especially for non-U.S. citizens moving through mandatory immigration processes. The corridor is a space made of expectation, you are almost somewhere, you are almost in customs, almost outside of the airport, almost in Chicago, almost on “the other side.”
The installations that follow represent the largest acquisition ever made by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Therefore we understoodd them as “time capsules” — “containers holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that are deposited (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age” (Merriam-Webster). It was important to consider how these works might be received in 25 years.
One of the challenges in displaying art at any airport is the fact that travelers are likely to be tired or anxious for at least several reasons: being away from home, transiting through security, and for many the loss of control inherent in traveling on an airplane. Therefore, the artists’ installations were conceived as rhythmic intervals for people to experience either briefly as they pass by or as a way to slow down and even stop time. Each commissioned work has a very different visual allure from the others, to pull in visitors in, even when the works are experienced up close, from afar, or in movement.
