Stretching along the 500-foot main connector of the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, Cloud Gazing transforms a space typically defined by movement into a moment of pause and perception. Positioned between concourses, the installation introduces an unexpected atmosphere of slowness and attention within a highly functional environment.

Ten cloud-like forms hover overhead, their soft silhouettes evoking the expansive skies of the Midwest. Inspired by the act of watching clouds—and by pareidolia, the tendency to perceive familiar images within ambiguous forms—the installation invites travelers to momentarily shift from navigation to imagination. Though visually light, the clouds subtly reshape how the connector is experienced.

Each form is constructed from a curved aluminum frame supporting a field of precisely cut hanging nylon straps. These straps create three-dimensional volume while partially obscuring vivid imagery embedded above. The images consist of four interlaced prismatic color compositions, UV-printed onto acoustic tiles integrated within each cloud. Together, straps and imagery form a layered visual system activated through movement.

As visitors walk through the connector, the visible image continuously shifts. Patterns emerge and dissolve as perspective changes, producing a three-dimensional barrier-grid animation that unfolds only through motion. For travelers on the moving walkways, the constant speed intensifies the effect, making the clouds appear to drift through perceptual change rather than physical movement.

By working with perspective, speed, and expectation, Cloud Gazing reframes a utilitarian passage as an immersive, daydream-like environment. The installation offers a fleeting moment of wonder—recalling childhood experiences of finding images in the clouds and allowing imagination to briefly take flight amid the routines of travel.

Photos: Alan Tansey

More about the process:
Pattern Generation
Photos of the installation