If you haven't been to the Tampa International Airport in the last year, let me introduce you to Phoebe the Flamingo. This clever piece of art gives us a 40-foot-tall flamingo in one one story by putting you, the viewer, under water! The installation by artist Matthew Mazzotta is titled HOME. Only the bird's head, neck, and legs are visible. The rest of the body is implied by a shimmering reflective ceiling that throws dappled lighting underneath and acts as the surface of the water. That perspective makes people the size of the shrimp that flamingos feed on. But there's no danger here. The floor around the sculpture even has warning bumps to help blind people avoid walking into it.
In late 2022, the airport launched a contest to name the flamingo. So many people participated that the procedure was extended, but early this year, Phoebe emerged as the winner. Bryan M, who first submitted the name, received free airline flights for his efforts. He says the name Phoebe is a play on the flamingo's genus Phoenicopterus. -via reddit
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My cousin had a 16ft tall flamingo he would put on his front lawn every spring. He lives in a very wealthy area and his neighbors were cool about it. He had it for years until someone stole it during the night. It was never found. What a shame.
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