“To see it happen, and in such a serene atmosphere is a great joy for me. I know airports are so important because they move people around the surface of the earth and it creates a possibility of understanding.” – Leonard Nierman, Sensación de Vuelo, 2011
The City of St. Louis and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport officially dedicated an original sculpture by internationally recognized Mexican artist Leonardo Nierman entitled “Sensación de Vuelo” (Flying Sensation) on July 13, 2011.
The sculpture, intertwined steel ribbons that point to the sky, was a gift by the artist to St. Louis on behalf of the people of Mexico. The 10-ft high polished steel work of art is just west of Terminal 2 on the lawn near the International Arrivals Lobby at Lambert.
Nierman has paintings, sculptures and tapestries in collections around the world, including The Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, The Gallery of Modern Art in New York, The Vatican Museum in Rome and The Museum of Contemporary Arts in Madrid, among others, and his public art is exposed in many important cities, such as Salzburg, Austria; Rome, Italy; Santander, Spain; Ottawa and Vancouver, Canada; Lausanne, Switzerland; and many cities in the United States. This is the first major art donation to be received under the Airport’s new Art and Culture Program, which was launched in 2010.