Squid Capsule, an exterior art installation commissioned by Materials and Applications transforms an outdoor courtyard in the Silverlake neighborhood into a weather island that isolates and amplifies subtle changes in Los Angeles’ placid, if somewhat monotonous, summer climate. An ever shifting microclimate is produced in this example of ‘weather art’. A suspended capsule marks a delicate drama of temperature and humidity, with air as the medium and water as the agent of change.

The capsule is composed of 40 transparent, inflatable tentacles hanging from the sky and grazing the courtyard floor. Guests are invited to move amongst the interactive installation observing the changes in the before of the suspended inflatables as water vaporizes and condenses in an endless dance.

Each sculptural element is vacuum formed and then welded to produce three-dimensional forms out of light-weight plastic. When fully assembled, the suspended sculpture is air-tight and strong enough to withstand contact with the ground and guests, yet delicate enough to index subtle climatic changes.

Collaborators