Heart of the City | Peace Plaza
Location: The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Artists: Eric Anderson, Ann Hamilton, Rafael Lozano Hemmer, and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle
About: Heart of the City is a bold plan to transform downtown Rochester, MN, into a public realm of experiential zones, punctuated by community-driven activation, and world-class public art that sets the stage for healthy development adjacent to the Mayo Clinic. The Heart of the City’s Peace Plaza establishes a dynamic balance between the contemplative and healing atmosphere that reverberates from the Clinic and a vibrant public space that celebrates downtown life.
Completed in 2023, the works explore profound themes: Ann Hamilton’s Aeon celebrates time and the rhythm of movement, Eric Anderson’s Wake Field emits light and fog to symbolize life’s first and last breaths, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Voice Canopy visualizes the power and connections of voices in public spaces, and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s A Not So Private Sky reflects on the interplay between the infinitely small and the infinitely large through a monument to public engagement.
Project Team: Coen + Partners, El Dorado, Petrichor Projects
