RACIMO

Grimanesa Amoros video thumbnail for RACIMO

Location: Allure of the Seas | Turku, Finland, 2011
26 ft 3 in x 46 ft x 3 ft 3 in (8 m x 14.02 m x 0.99 m)
Stainless steel, diffusion material and reflective material, LEDs, custom lighting sequence, and electrical hardware.

RACIMO is a 46-foot permanent light sculpture installed aboard the Allure of the Seas, at the time the world’s largest cruise ship, its silk-screened domes and LED sequence paying tribute to the vineyards of Pisco, Peru, and the childhood memories that first taught Amorós to see beauty in structure, growth, and the patient rhythms of the natural world.

RACIMO marks Amorós’s first major public lighting sculpture commission, commissioned by ICART for Royal Caribbean International under the curatorial vision “The Wonder of Our World Cultures,” establishing the formal and conceptual language that would define all subsequent large-scale works.

The Denver Post (2011) covered the Allure of the Seas art program, situating RACIMO among the most ambitious integrations of contemporary art and marine architecture ever realized, noting the ship’s collection as a floating museum valued at nearly $11 million and spanning works by artists from more than 20 countries.

The title translates from Spanish as a cluster of fruits from the same vine, with the work’s form drawn directly from the growth pattern of the grapevine, a structure Amorós encountered as a child walking through the vineyard rows of Pisco, Peru.

The silk-screened domes carry hand-rendered drawings of Peruvian vineyards, making RACIMO simultaneously a monumental public commission and an intimate self-portrait of the landscapes that first shaped Amorós’s visual imagination.

The Royal Caribbean Wonderbook (2011) featured an extended interview with Amorós on RACIMO, in which she described the work as rooted in her belief that consideration for the viewer is the priority of her process, especially when creating public art.

RACIMO, a site-specific monumental outdoor lighting sculpture installation by Grimanesa Amoros that can be seen from decks of Allure of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, sponsored by ICART, the art advisor for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. The curatorial vision for Allure of the Seas, “The Wonder of our World Cultures,” finds expression in this captivating creation.

Created with meticulous attention to detail, RACIMO features silk-screened domes with drawings depicting vineyards in Peru, a heartfelt homage to the artist’s childhood memories of strolling through the rows of vines in Pisco, Peru. RACIMO, which translates to a cluster of fruits from the same vine, signifies the grapevine’s inherent growth pattern and captivating structure.

Amoros draws inspiration from the shapes and allure of grapes, infusing RACIMO with a sense of wonder and nostalgia. RACIMO seamlessly integrates into the awe-inspiring ambiance of Allure of the Seas, enchanting travelers and celebrating the beauty of our world’s diverse cultures.