“Gather” is an elegant LED sculpture that celebrates the newly restored Fuller Garden Court at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Originally built in 1933, the landmarked art deco building was renovated and expanded by LMN Architects in 2020 and the new plan restored the Court’s significance as the museum’s central hub. At 2,300 sq. ft, the Court not only connects the entry lobby to the exhibition galleries, it also functions as a flexible event space. Suspended from the skylit ceiling, the 26 x 48 x 10 ft artwork is light-weight yet bold in gesture, serving as a memorable canopy for events held in the Court while visually and thematically connecting the space to the museum’s esteemed collection of Asian art in the adjacent galleries.
The artwork references traditional Asian handcrafts, particularly textile design, through mass-manufacturing practices, modern LEDs, and electronics. Made from 390 individual chip-on-board LED elements that are mass-produced in China, the artwork transforms everyday objects into an ethereal light sculpture. Its suspension-based construction and hash pattern is a nod to ikat weaving and Sashiko sewing techniques. The cross-motif stands out in front of both light and dark backgrounds. Using gravity-based catenary curves to form its asymmetrical form, one end of the sculpture is gathered, its shape echoing the flow of hanging fabric.
The Seattle Asian Art Museum requested an artwork that would activate and soften the newly renovated Fuller Garden Court, the museum’s central hub that connects the Entry Lobby to the exhibition galleries. The artwork needed to be lightweight yet dynamic, taking care not to stress the structure of the glass skylit ceiling. Also, it was requested to not obstruct the floor space, a major event space for the organization. Additionally, it was our goal to create a piece that not only responds to the architecture of the space, but visually connects the Court to the Museum’s collection of Asian artworks housed in the adjacent galleries.
