Heads up! Next time you find yourself in the Barbara Jordan Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), be sure to look up around Gate 15, and you will see it—a new, beautiful art installation created by the world-renowned Austin-based artist, Beili Liu.

Convergence / Austin is a site-responsive public art installation that is meant to reflect and signify the purpose, growth, and excellence of AUS. The artwork spans 16 feet by 12 feet into the high bay triangle area in the terminal and has approximately 400 vertical strands holding 3,200 elements that uphold this permanent installation, which was commissioned for AUS through the City of Austin Arts in Public Places Program (AIPP).

Beili Liu was kind enough to take the time and answer some questions that allow us to dive deeper into the meaning, significance, and details of Convergence / Austin, and here is what she had to say about the unique installation:

Question: You have created visual art installations across the world, but how special and personal is Convergence / Austin considering that it’s in the city that you live, teach, and work in?

Beili Liu’s answer: Austin is home. My family and I have lived here since 2008, when we moved here from Michigan and joined the faculty at UT Austin. Creating Convergence / Austin is an especially meaningful experience for me—although I exhibit and create public artworks in many different locations, I only have the chance to present a work here at home once every few years. There is something intimate and personal about making a project for my family, friends, and the Austin community. I treasure each opportunity to share my work with Austinites. Convergence / Austin is also a special, anchoring project that will have a constant presence in the airport for at least 25 years.

Question: Your work has been featured in parks, museums, studios, and so many different artistic settings that allow viewers to open their mind and reflect—what inspired you to feature Convergence / Austin in an Airport setting?

Beili Liu’s answer: The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in our nation, reflecting the impressive growth and increasing allure of our beloved city of Austin as an eclectic culture, arts and technology destination. Convergence / Austin is a site-responsive public art installation that reflects and responds to the purpose, growth, and excellence of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—a convergent space that welcomes all travelers from different backgrounds, origins, and destinations. It is where personal journeys merge into a shared collective experience. The artwork highlights the essence of this shared experience: connection, progression, and transformation.

Question: Is there a deeper meaning or specific reason that the plexiglass materials are red? In the same vein, is there a reason for the specific shape (other than to fit within the approved triangular area)?

Beili Liu’s Answer: Convergence / Austin is inspired by a signature work of mine, Lure. Lure is a site-responsive installation series that borrows from the ancient Chinese legend of the red thread, which tells that when children are born, invisible red threads connect them to their soul mates. Over the years of their lives, they come closer and eventually find each other, overcoming great social divides or physical distances. Lure consists of thousands of hand-coiled disks of red thread, each pierced at the center by a single sewing needle, enabling its suspension from the ceiling.

In response to the public setting at the AUS airport, Convergence / Austin translates this legend through archival, stable materials that can last many years. The translucent quality of acrylic captures the natural light of the Gate 15 space. In this way, during daytime, the color "glows" with more vibrancy and changes throughout the day. I was very excited to be able to work with this unique site surrounded by large windows that allow light passage from different directions. The semi-circular form of the elements emphasizes the organic quality of each component and its potential for growth, as each represents an individual. Visually, it adds variety, interactions between elements.

Question: How important was it to you to hire local businesses to support the fabrication and provide employment opportunities for local artists and fabricators?

Beili Liu’s answer: Working on a large-scale project locally affords my studio the rare opportunity to fabricate all elements in my studio. We also drove the artwork directly from my studio to the AUS airport and installed the work over the course of five nights. This intimate experience made me feel more connected to the artwork, the site, and the quieter times in the airport. It made me appreciate the work more. As an Austin Artist, I am committed to supporting my local arts community. I was happy to be able to hire artist friends to fabricate and install the project. In this way, the project also supports the Austin artist community through subcontracting employment.

Question: What about Convergence / Austin is unique or different compared to other installations that you have featured?

Beili Liu’s answer: Most of my art installations work with temporality and the passage of time. The very fragility of the material determines that many installations do not last beyond the exhibition. Convergence/Austin is designed to serve the airport and the public for many years. I see a public art project as an offering to the function of the public space and the community. It is an honor and a privilege to share this work with my community here in Austin. In almost all cases, when I create a public art project in a different city, the completion of the project is the last time I see it, so it is very special to be able to come back and revisit Convergence/Austin every time I travel via the AUS airport.

Question: Next time you travel out of AUS, what type of emotions do you expect to feel when seeing Convergence / Austin as a traveler?

Beili Liu’s Answer: I can’t wait to find out!