DATE
Object Date: 2010
Conservation Date: 2021
LOCATION
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, John F. Kennedy Blvd. near Rankin Rd. 2800 N Terminal Rd
Houston, TX 77032
District B
CLIENT
City of Houston
SPONSORING DEPARTMENT
Houston Airport System
PROJECT BUDGET
$943,000.00
Radiant Fountains
Denis Oppenheim
Image Credit: All images courtesy of the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs; Photographers: Slyworks Photography & Touch Thirty Three
Project Description
Radiant Fountains consists of three illuminated towers, each soaring over 60 feet into the air. The piece resides in the median of John F. Kennedy Blvd, Houston, Texas, on the IAH campus. The towers are digitally programmed, with the resulting light show mimicking a droplet of water falling and splashing upward.
In 2021, at the request of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) and the Houston Airport Systems, HAA contracted with local conservator Touch Thirty Three to perform a full technology update and restoration of Radiant Fountains. The scope of work included upgrades to the LED show system to improve performance, replacing any expired hardware or lighting, cleaning the translucent orbs at the top, as well as consolidating all electrical control components. A new cast aluminum plaque was also fabricated and installed. Full restoration was completed by early 2023.
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At the request of the Houston Airport System and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, HAA sought quotes from three qualified conservators to repair this artwork and recommended the best course of action. Throughout the conservation process, HAA coordinated site access, progress reporting, and vendor communications. A conservation report was collected and submitted to sponsoring departments upon closeout.
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This project was funded through Houston’s Civic Art Ordinance, which requires 1.75% of the budget for eligible City-funded construction projects to be spent on integrating artwork and artists' ideas in public spaces and conserving the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection. The Houston Arts Alliance administers the civic art program for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Artist Bio
Dennis Oppenheim (1938-2011) was an interdisciplinary artist who pushed the boundaries of art through a variety of practices including sculpture, performance, installations, earthworks, and public art, from the mid 1960's until his death in 2011. Mr. Oppenheim came onto the scene as a conceptual artist, questioning the nature of art and art-making during the early years of Minimalism. During the last 20 years of his career, he focused more on large, public works, including Radiant Fountains, one of his last pieces, created in 2010 and completed after his death.