NYU Stern

The NYU Stern L2 Digital Leadership Academy is a premier conference focused on the business and digital trends shaping organizations today. Led by faculty from NYU Stern, Kellogg School of Management, and Harvard Business School, alongside L2 researchers, the event brings together thought leaders, innovators, and executives to explore the latest strategies and insights in digital transformation.

The conference delves into topics such as data-driven decision-making, emerging technologies, and leadership in the digital age, providing attendees with actionable knowledge to navigate the rapidly evolving business landscape.

As part of the event, Grimanesa Amorós participated in an artist talk, where she discussed her light installation projects and their intersection with technology and innovation. Amorós shared behind-the-scenes insights into her creative process, highlighting how her large-scale installations blend art, architecture, and light to create immersive experiences that challenge perceptions and inspire dialogue.

Amorós also explored the role of art in the digital age, emphasizing how her work reflects cultural identity and social issues while embracing cutting-edge technologies. Her talk provided a unique perspective on the convergence of creativity and business, inspiring attendees to think beyond traditional boundaries.

The NYU Stern L2 Digital Leadership Academy continues to be a platform for groundbreaking ideas and innovative thinking.

(00:02) Good afternoon, thank you very much for L2 and dear to give me the opportunity to share my work today. I want to start by an unforgettable trip that I made in Iceland. And when I had the opportunity to see Northern Lights, which a lot of us know as a Aurora Borealis.

(00:29) And the light fascinated me. I couldn’t stop saying, “Wow.” And I thought, “Grimanesa, wouldn’t it be that wonderful if you have the opportunity to bring the light within your work.” And of course, it took me a lot of time to figure out the structure to do so in the future. Nevertheless, I like the light because it has the presence

(00:49) but not the physicality of it, which it allowed me to create this immersive environment that you’re going to be seeing afterwards, where the viewer, the space, and the piece becomes one. At the same time, we cannot forget my Peruvian cultural background, which is going to lead us to the next slide.

(01:16) This is Lake Titicaca in the southwest in Peru, where the Uros, pre-Inca people, built everything from these totora reeds, giant plant stalks.

(01:30) They put together bundles of dry totora and they build their houses, boats, watchtowers. But the fascinating thing is that they have to maintain it every single day because otherwise it will sink and get rotten. And that creates this ephemeral wonder that always keeps me thinking. There used to be 436 islands, now we have only about 26.

(01:55) With that, two days after I came back from Lake Titicaca in Peru, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Times Square Alliance, the Armory Show, and the Nina Menocal Gallery to create a piece in Times Square.

(02:13) So I had the greatest idea that to bring the Uros house and all the cultural heritage to the middle of Times Square where it’s full of technology. At the same time, you’re going to see the organic shapes of each of the domes versus the verticality of the architecture in Times Square.

(02:40) The pieces always look very different during the day than during the night. And during the night it was truly fascinating because I had the opportunity to work with all of the lights around of the LCD screens for advertisements. Here you’re going to be seeing examples of how I collaborate with fashion brands, with public work, with real estate developers and museums and galleries in the Uro series.

(03:06) This led me to another trip to the north of Peru for my next year’s Huanchaco. Huanchaco is a fishing village on the north of Peru. And in this case, what I did was take the silkscreen of the domes into a three-dimensional way.

(03:54) So this way the totora reeds that I also encountered in this north part of Peru will have these, which they were swinging on the wind, I was going to be able to create it with this tubing system.

(04:10) One of the pieces that I did in this series was Maiden Lane. Maiden Lane was in the financial district, collaboration with a real estate developer, which was very interesting because I always do site visits first. And I encounter how in this part, especially New Yorkers are always very glued to their phones. We’re talking about maybe they’re posting, they were tweeting. And so I wanted to create a piece that will

(04:37) draw the attention to the lobby of this building. Of course, every time I, before I make a project, I always make a general drawing. So this way it will give me a guidance with the space.

(04:50) Architecture for each of the projects are very important. It truly mandates and guides me what the piece requires. In this case, the front of the facade of the building replicates the truss that is made from the other end. So that’s why the name, Breathless Maiden Lane, it creates the sensation that the piece truly wants to burst out into the street so I could grab those New Yorkers that are glued on the phone to see afterwards. And we are going to see a little video.

(06:09) And my last piece I want to share with you is a collaboration I did with

(06:16) I had the opportunity to do a piece to honor the inspiring women that have been throughout my life. And this was creating a relationship with a landmark building and the architecture that hosts the Peninsula Hotel in New York.

(06:32) And for this one, it was a relationship that I had with these Romanesque figures, Ceres and Diana, that at the same time had a wonderful relationship with the lotus flower, which I got totally fascinated and obsessed with. A trip that I did in Shanghai, I saw thousands of these lotus flowers.

(06:52) And how they react to the light, that stayed in my mind and I paired them together because also it was the same time of breast cancer month to make this piece.

(08:20) And to conclude, I want to let you know that I live my life totally engaged with my surroundings. And that gives me the focus to learn every day something new. And besides that, I love the words LPP, which is I love, passion, and perseverance. And with that, I finish because I don’t know if they have any questions. But I think my time is up. Thank you very much.