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Documented artwork / paired suspended sculptural installation

Odyssey

Sanford Biggers

Credit as documented: Sanford Biggers Studio

Sanford Biggers’s Odyssey comprises two suspended geometric sculptures in Portland International Airport’s main terminal, at the north and south ends of the concourse connector. The quilt-based patterns extend his Codex series and include references to antique quilts held by the Oregon Historical Society. The airport’s 2025 account distinguishes these large installations from a separate gallery exhibition about their development. JunoWorks fabricated the sculptures in coordination with the artist team and airport, while CRAFT documents the engineering. Printed DiBond aluminum panels sit on lightweight aluminum frames, hung from stainless-steel aircraft cables. The forms were designed to appear afloat beneath the terminal’s mass-timber ceiling while fitting around glazing, lighting and signage.

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Documented work. Current availability, ownership and installation requirements must be confirmed with the artist.

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Verified artwork image for Odyssey
Verified artwork imageImage: pdxart.portofportland.online ↗Photo: Mario Gallucci. (as credited at source)

At a glance

Year / version
Not documented
Materials
DiBond aluminum graphic panels, aluminum tube framing, stainless steel aircraft cables
Documented setting
indoor
Dimensions
8 × 8 × 75 feet each (JunoWorks)
Dimensions apply to
Fabricator-reported dimensions for each of the two sculptures; axes not labelled. Producer-only conflicting artist-site dimensions were not independently confirmed.
Availability
Unconfirmed

Places & versions

Installation history

Historical presentations. A past installation does not establish the current location or suitability for a new site.

  1. Documented October 16, 2025; installation start not established in this review

    North and south ends of the concourse connector, main terminal, Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon

    Installation source

Materials and construction

CRAFT used the airport’s building information model to locate cables and avoid finish clashes. Diagonal bracing limits sway toward adjacent glass; movement in other directions was analyzed for seismic loading and architectural clearances. JunoWorks reports 8 × 8 × 75 feet for each sculpture. PDX describes the quilt escape-route idea as a long-debated theory behind Codex, not as established historical fact.

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