Light Between the Islands background by Grimanesa Amoros
×

OSTIUM

Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós OSTIUM, a 9-foot site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture installed within an intimate room at The Bayer Building, Tribeca, New York, 2020. By Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amoros video thumbnail for OSTIUM

Location: The Bayer Landmark Building, TriBeCa, New York, 2019
9 ft x 7 ft x 3 ft (2.74 m x 2.13 m x 0.91 m)
LEDs, diffusion and reflective material, custom lighting sequence, electrical hardware.

OSTIUM is a 9-foot light sculpture installed within an intimate room of the landmarked Bayer Building in TriBeCa, its luminous form drawing on the Latin anatomical term for an opening in a vessel to transform the act of entering and exiting a space into a sustained encounter with light, threshold, and self-reflection.

  • Derived from the Latin for “door” and used anatomically to describe an opening within a living vessel, the title OSTIUM positions the work simultaneously as architecture, body, and passage, with Amorós treating the room itself as an organ through which viewers move and are transformed.
  • Installed within one of TriBeCa’s most storied landmark buildings, OSTIUM occupies a highly trafficked yet intimate interior space, a combination Amorós deliberately sought in order to create the conditions for intense and sustained contemplation within the rhythm of daily life.
  • The work’s custom lighting sequence envelops the room rather than commanding it, surrounding viewers as they enter and exit so that each passage through the space becomes a distinct and unrepeatable immersive encounter rather than a fixed visual experience.
  • OSTIUM extends Amorós’s sustained exploration of threshold, passage, and architectural intimacy that runs across works including BREATHLESS MAIDEN LANE (2014) and GOLDEN WATERS (2015), affirming her practice’s consistent preoccupation with the transformative potential of the spaces we move through every day.

    • OSTIUM, derived from the Latin word for “door,” is an intriguing anatomical term that refers to an opening in a vessel. Inspired by the fascinating interplay between space and experience, Grimanesa Amoros created OSTIUM. This artwork invites viewers into contemplation with a focus on the profound moments of entrance and exit.

    Nestled within a highly trafficked yet intimate room, OSTIUM presents a unique opportunity for engagement. As viewers venture into this captivating space, they are enveloped by a mesmerizing interplay of light, transcending the boundaries of ordinary perception. Each entry and departure becomes an immersive encounter revealing new perspectives and captivating moments of introspection.

    Description: OSTIUM is a light sculpture by woman artist Grimanesa Amoros, located in the Bayer Building in TriBeCa, New York; it has a light sequence within an intimate space. Due to this combination, the work creates intense contemplation in viewers.