Delta Introduces ‘Terminal C’ At LaGuardia Airport That’s Also An Art Gallery

To celebrate the inauguration of Delta’s Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport, the New York landmark has unveiled several large-scale art installations that will adorn the space, ranging from multi-floor ceramic murals to sculptures made by some of the world’s leading artists.

These works will be a permanent part of what is the first one-of-a-kind collaboration between The Queens Museum, Delta Airlines, LaGuardia Airport, and artists Mariam Ghani, Rashid Johnson, Aliza Nisenbaum, Virginia Overton, Ronny Quevedo, and Fred Wilson. 

In Mariam Ghani’s The Worlds We Speak, the artist conveys the diversity of language in the metropolis through a colorful mosaic of handmade ceramic tiles, using data from the Endangered Language Alliance (EDA) to cast the spotlight on over 700 languages and dialects spoken in the surrounding region. 

While in “The Travelers” Broken Crowd, Rashid Johnson offers his largest mural to date, having arranged sixty portraits in a grid—with some faces obscured by black wax and paint, and others emphasized with colorful tile and mirror fragments. The piece portrays the excitement and buzz we all get when we travel, and will get visitors to momentarily reflect on their feelings of “wander” and wonder.

Aliza Nisenbaum’s mural, The Ones Who Make It Run (Delta Terminal C, LaGuardia Airport), highlights 16 Delta and Port Authority staff members who form part of the backbone that keeps the terminal running each day. From pilots to flight attendants, police officers, firefighters, and customer service agents, the work represents the strength and diversity of those we often neglect to notice.

Repurposed skylight sections salvaged from junkyards form the basis of Virginia Overton’s Skylight Gems, which the artist has expertly constructed to create new, enclosed structures that shine from within. The illuminated jewels are suspended from each of the atrium’s three levels, allowing guests to experience their “solidity and ephemerality” every step of the way. 

Ronny Quevedo taps on his childhood memories of soccer in Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime, with the work’s gymnasium flooring reflecting the way sports connects us all over the globe. The artist pays homage to the communities within New York City, capturing their resilience amid uncertainty. 

For Mother, Fred Wilson incorporates starlight globes and droplets—which he calls “drips”—to express an experience all of us have had while flying: seeing the world below turn into nothing but small dots. By removing the names of countries on the globes, and replacing them with swatches of vibrant colors, the artist aims to demonstrate how interconnected we truly are. 

According to a press release, the artworks by Mariam Ghani, Rashid Johnson, Virginia Overton, and Ronny Quevedo are now open to the public for viewing, while pieces by Aliza Nisenbaum and Fred Wilson will be ready by the fall. 

As The Queens Museum president Sally Tallant puts it: “Commissioning permanent artworks by this incredible group of New York-based artists is an exciting way for the Museum to play a part in making the new Terminal C a world-class cultural destination.” 

[via Artnet News and The Queens Museum, cover image via The Queens Museum]