Published: Jan 7, 2006
On Jan. 7, the University’s historic Plant Hall was brought to life
with brightly-colored light projections and mysterious music during
Lights on Tampa, a public art project initiated by the city of Tampa.
The Plant Hall project was led by Argentine artist Jorge Orta, who
worked in close collaboration with UT professors Joanne Steinhardt and
Santiago Echeverry, as well as others in the Tampa Bay community, to
create the 30-minute display that was shown repeatedly throughout the
evening. The Plant Hall project, titled Luminographic Concert, was one
of six light-based installations across downtown Tampa and was the only
event scheduled for a single night.
Orta has displayed
large-scale works on landmarks throughout the world, including Macchu
Picchu in Peru and the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. This type
of large-scale display has rarely been seen in the United States.
Thousands attended Lights on Tampa, which city leaders plan to make a
biennial event.