MUMBAI — In every Indian town and city, it is a common sight to see entangled yet functional wires hanging precariously from buildings and homes, particularly along the Mumbai skyline. This visual became the starting point for Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amoros’s largest light sculpture to date. Titled Golden Array, the 210 by 25 by 70-foot installation at Jio World Drive, Mumbai, reflects the cable lines Amoros noticed everywhere in her travels across India.
The permanent installation invites the onlooker to reflect on connections through “the invisible trajectories of a wireless universe,” as she calls it in her artist’s statement. “India is a vibrant country. I love the colors, food, fashion, and most importantly, the kindness of the people. On my trip here, I was drawn to the wires and what they represented. Wires keep the world connected. Even today, the invisible trajectories of a wireless universe represent the same thing: those essential linking points between people. The work evokes contemplation on the complex connections that link the world together,” says Amoros.
The large-scale sculpture was in the making for the past few years before finally debuting in 2021. Amoros begins her monumental site-specific projects by surveying locations. “I immerse myself in the local community and their cultural heritage. For the piece to connect to visitors, it must be inspired by relationships within the country and the community. From there, I move on to design, development, and then the installation and light programming,” she explains.
Sculptures on this scale require time, precise logistics, and fluid communication between the teams. The work took three weeks to install, and the lighting sequence took another three weeks to program. Amoros’s big takeaway was the power of good communication. “The project came to fruition during a global pandemic, and this would not have been possible without intense coordination. It was created with the collaborative support of the Reliance Group and the Maker Maxity team over several years,” she notes.
Amoros started her art career as a painter. She became interested in working with light after taking a trip to see the northern lights, and realizing how “light could bring magic into the work.” She continues, “New directions often come from where I draw inspiration. I recently made a pilgrimage to Mt. Etna, which has spurred my work into yet another new and unknown direction. Within the framework of my body of work, Golden Array is a natural progression. It builds on my previous interests and methodology, and is my largest sculpture yet.”
While the India experience is still fresh in her mind, she is already busy immersing in upcoming projects in the USA, Mexico, Germany, and Turkey. So far, the response to Golden Array has been positive, and Amoros is excited to see people in Mumbai engaging with it: “Watching people interact with my work is the sustenance that feeds my artistic practice.”
She adds, “The beauty of a digital world is that it bridges physical barriers to communication. From an ocean away, I can see the people of Mumbai interacting with and enjoying my work … Golden Array has taught me to trust the importance of creation’s laborious yet precious process — to enjoy the moment.”
Golden Array by Grimanesa Amoros is on view at Jio World Drive, Mumbai.
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