The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has revealed the plans for its latest outdoor piazza installation, set to open to the public in April. Created by the New York City-based firm SO – IL, "Murmuration" will feature foliage-lined, mesh canopies that nod to Atlanta’s iconic greenery.
SO – IL plans to construct the installation by suspending the mesh over the piazza on a steel framework—evoking the structure of Atlanta’s tree canopies. Echoing the form of nearby Piedmont Park—Atlanta’s largest greenspace—with its design, SO – IL hopes that the sweeping canopies will attract birds, creating a rest area for the city’s avian and human population alike.
“SO – IL has a history of creating architectural designs that engage in a layered dialogue with their respective environments; here, specifically, we looked to them to explore multiple layers of interaction and play that can be fostered through creative design,” said Kevin Tucker, the High’s chief curator, in a press release from the organization. "With 'Murmuration,' they have considered our city’s natural and built environment in reflecting upon global environmental concerns evidenced in bird migrations. We are excited to introduce this new project that we hope will bring our visitors together to delight in this creation and share the Piazza with our avian friends.”
“Mumuration” will be accompanied by an exhibition in the galleries called “Canopy: The Architecture of SO – IL,” which willfeature examples of the firm's architectural work including models, renderings, and other elements that delve into the firm’s creative process.
Upon its completion, “Mumuration” will become the High Museum’s sixth interactive piazza installation since the program began in 2014, following work by Japanese designer Yuri Suzuki’s (“Sonic Playground,” 2018) and Spanish designer Jaime Hayon (“Merry Go Zoo,” 2017).
"Murmuration" will open at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in April 2020.
