Doug Aitken’s ‘New Horizon’ Roams the Massachusetts Skies
“I love the idea that a farmer in the field could look up and see this mirrored sculpture float by.” That’s multimedia artist and filmmaker Doug Aitken referring to New Horizon, his nomadic installation that’s set to roam the Massachusetts skies this July. Commissioned by the Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit focused on preserving 25,000 acres of the state’s natural sites, Aitken has created an oversize hot-air balloon from 70-denier high-tenacity nylon coated in mylar laminate. It will be fueled by propane, which burns cleaner than gas or diesel, and include a gondola accommodating eight people for sunrise rides. When not airborne, the balloon will be tethered at various noteworthy properties—Long Point Wildlife Refuge in West Tisbury and deCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln among them—where farm-to-table dinners, live music performances, and talks with such luminaries as Lord Norman Foster will take place beneath the shiny orb.
Watch a video of the installation below:
Keep scrolling to view more images of the installation >