Art Takes Wing at AUS: The Story Behind The Nature of Sound

What brings joy to so many Central Texans? Birding and music: nature’s sweet alarm clock when perched on your roof or outside your door.

The artists behind The Nature of Sound, Josef Kristofoletti and Matthew Mazzotta, are expressing Austin's love of birds and music through a striking ceiling installation in the Atrium Infill, part of the Journey With AUS Expansion Program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

Three colorful bird sculptures featured in The Nature of Sound will be permanently installed within the three skylights of the Atrium Infill.

Featuring colorful designs created by local artist and muralist Josef Kristofoletti, the birds and custom murals that make up The Nature of Sound are beginning to take shape. Now halfway complete, the artwork is currently being fabricated at Smash Design in Alvin, Texas, where the vibrant installation is coming to life ahead of its arrival at AUS.

Recently, staff from Austin Aviation and the Art in Public Places (AIPP) program, administered through Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME), traveled to Smash Design to see the fabrication process firsthand. Throughout the creation of The Nature of Sound, Austin Aviation and AIPP have worked closely with the artists, architects, engineers, and safety teams to ensure the sculptures meet all installation requirements and can be safely and successfully brought to life at AUS.

As a part of the overall sculpture installation, flowing flowers represent soundwaves, bringing Austin's love of music and nature together in a striking visual display. The birds will measure approximately 10 feet long and 9 feet tall, standing on perches 14.5 feet above the Atrium Infill terrazzo floor. The birdsong soundwave, adorned with wildflowers and constructed of steel, will stretch 19.1 feet long. That’s about the size of a shipping container!

For artists Josef Kristofoletti and Matthew Mazzotta, The Nature of Sound is a "beautifully colored visual representation of sound using plants, birds and their songs." In their vision, birdsong transforms into wildflowers, creating a vibrant tribute to Austin's global reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World.

The large scale of The Nature of Sound was intentional. The artists designed the installation to "seamlessly integrate into the new space of the Atrium Infill area by using the inside of the skylights and the space below the ceiling." Because the artwork can be viewed from multiple vantage points, both throughout the atrium and directly beneath the skylights, it invites passengers to move through and experience the new open space from different perspectives. The colorful and whimsical installation could evoke the Painted Bunting, one of Central Texas' most vibrant native bird species.

The next step in bringing The Nature of Sound to life is the installation of the apparatus from which the bird sculptures will be suspended. Later this summer, Austin Aviation and AIPP staff will welcome the Atrium Infill artists back to AUS as they install the skylight murals and bird sculptures on-site at the soon-to-be-opened, 12,000 square foot Atrium Infill in the Barbara Jordan Terminal.

Like all 23 public art installations commissioned as a part of the Journey With AUS Expansion Program, The Nature of Sound began with listening. Through strategic community engagement staged across Austin, tabling at AUS, and conversations with passengers, the artists gathered ideas about the history, culture, and values that make Austin unique—and used those insights to shape the artwork.

Love of music, love of nature, tech vs. rural, Austin is weird, and diversity were among the themes identified during the artists' community engagement efforts at AUS. They then wove these ideas together to shape The Nature of Sound.

You may never spot the elusive multi-colored Painted Bunting in the wild, but soon you’ll be able to experience The Nature of Sound firsthand at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the three vibrant bird sculptures will welcome passengers to the new Atrium Infill.

As the Atrium Infill prepares to open later this year, it's just one of many projects helping shape the future of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. To learn more about the Atrium Infill project and the full Journey With AUS Expansion Program, visit the Journey With AUS Expansion Program website.