Light Between the Islands background by Grimanesa Amoros
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AZURE

Grimanesa Amorós AZURE — site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture series at an Upper East Side Landmark Town House, New York, 2023. 14 x 6 x 3-foot round reflective stainless steel and LED art domes installed on a concave wall, their custom light sequences playing off one another in shifting interplay inspired by the Azalea flower's contradictory beauty and hidden toxicity. Private light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós AZURE — site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture series at an Upper East Side Landmark Town House, New York, 2023. 14 x 6 x 3-foot round reflective stainless steel and LED art domes installed on a concave wall, their custom light sequences playing off one another in shifting interplay inspired by the Azalea flower's contradictory beauty and hidden toxicity. Private light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós AZURE — site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture series at an Upper East Side Landmark Town House, New York, 2023. 14 x 6 x 3-foot round reflective stainless steel and LED art domes installed on a concave wall, their custom light sequences playing off one another in shifting interplay inspired by the Azalea flower's contradictory beauty and hidden toxicity. Private light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós AZURE — site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture series at an Upper East Side Landmark Town House, New York, 2023. 14 x 6 x 3-foot round reflective stainless steel and LED art domes installed on a concave wall, their custom light sequences playing off one another in shifting interplay inspired by the Azalea flower's contradictory beauty and hidden toxicity. Private light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós AZURE — site-specific LED sculpture and light sculpture series at an Upper East Side Landmark Town House, New York, 2023. 14 x 6 x 3-foot round reflective stainless steel and LED art domes installed on a concave wall, their custom light sequences playing off one another in shifting interplay inspired by the Azalea flower's contradictory beauty and hidden toxicity. Private light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amoros video thumbnail for AZURE

Location: UES Landmark Town House | New York City, New York, 2023
14 ft x 6 ft x 3 ft (4.27 m x 1.83 m x 0.91 m)
Stainless steel, diffusion material and reflective material, LEDs, custom lighting sequence, and electrical hardware.

AZURE is a series of round reflective light sculptures installed on a concave wall within a landmarked Upper East Side townhouse in New York, its custom LED sequence drawing on the azalea flower’s contradictory nature as both achingly beautiful and deeply toxic to explore the precarious relationship between paradise, danger, and survival.

  • Deriving its title from the Latin word for paradise, AZURE challenges the idealized notion of that concept, with Amorós positioning the azalea as its central symbol precisely because the flower’s allure and its hidden toxicity are inseparable, each one the condition of the other’s existence.
  • Amorós conceived the work after encountering azalea shrubs in the tranquil setting of Ritsurin Garden in Japan, where the contrast between the garden’s serene beauty and her subsequent discovery of the flower’s poisonous properties prompted a sustained meditation on whether paradise can exist without pain.
  • The sculptures are installed on a concave wall, a deliberate architectural choice that causes each form’s light to play off the others in a continuously shifting interplay of reflections and shadows, mirroring the interconnectedness and interdependence found throughout the natural world.
  • AZURE joins LOTUS (2022) and SOLAR SANCTUARY (2025) as part of Amorós’s ongoing body of work drawing on botanical and natural symbolism to explore the complexity and contradictions of feminine experience, beauty, and power.

    • AZURE, the Latin word for paradise, encapsulates the essence of a place often envisioned as serene and idyllic. Amoros recognizes that nature rarely exists in such a peaceful state. The Azalea flower is a compelling symbol in this dichotomy of beauty and danger.

    Amoros traveled to Japan and found herself in the tranquil ambiance of Ritsurin Garden, admiring the azalea shrub. It led her to question whether paradise could indeed exist without the presence of pain. From this, Amoros researched the azalea’s delicate and alluring blossoms and found they conceal hidden toxicity, embodying the contradictory relationship between attractiveness and peril. This juxtaposition ensures the flower’s survival in the natural world.

    Drawing from this contemplation, Amoros conceptualized the site-specific light sculpture AZURE. The sculptures interact on a concave wall, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadows. This arrangement mirrors the interconnectedness and interdependence found in the natural world. AZURE pays homage to the beguiling nature of the Azalea flower. It celebrates its captivating beauty while acknowledging the underlying dangers it possesses.

    AZURE envisions an unknown paradise that exists in perfect harmony with the untamed forces of nature.

    Description: AZURE by Grimanesa Amoros is a series of round, reflective light sculptures with custom light sequences in an Upper East Side Landmark Town House in New York. The light sculptures are placed on a concave wall. Due to this, the light on each of the sculptures play off of each other. The work pulls inspiration from the azalea flower, which is both beautiful and dangerous.