Doug Aitken's Detroit Mirage opens up in once-abandoned bank

2018-10-10T19:14:00-04:00

Doug Aitken's new art installation Mirage Detroit has opened in the once-abandoned State Savings Bank, a century-old Beaux-Arts building in downtown Detroit that has sat empty for decades.

Aitken's latest work brings back his much beloved project for Desert X, which saw a reflective suburban home plopped into the Coachella Valley desert. For the city of Detroit, the art world giant has taken this ranch-style home, given it a perfected mirrored surface, and placed it in the decorative interiors of the old bank.

Installation view of Doug Aitken, Mirage Detroit 2018, photography by Conner MacPhee, courtesy the artist and Library Street Collective.

Covered in hundreds of pieces of mirrors, the large sculpture reflects the Roman arched colonnades and bronze flourishes of its architectural surroundings. A light show choreographed by longtime Radiohead se...

Doug Aitken's 'Mirage' to be installed in downtown Detroit's State Savings Bank building

2018-09-13T14:51:00-04:00

The historic State Savings Bank in downtown Detroit will soon play host to the award-winning artist Doug Aitken's latest site-specific work. Opening to the public on October 10th, the former bank building will see a ranch-style suburban home erected inside its century-old walls.

The project titled 'Mirage Detroit' is a continuation of the California artist's ongoing investigation into what he calls 'liquid architecture,' described by the desire of wanting to make 'the Building' disappear.

Last year, for the inaugural Desert X event which saw various artworks scattered across the Coachella Valley, Mr. Aitken created a sculptural installation in the form of a typical ranch house, fully covered in mirrors inside and out. A riff on this elaborate structure will now be presented inside the archaic bank building.

Image by Doug Aitken Workshop.

Entirely reflective, the mirrored installation transforms the classic one-story house into a 'human-scale kaleidoscope'. Placed within the Beaux-ar...

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Doug Aitken's Detroit Mirage opens up in once-abandoned bank

Doug Aitken's 'Mirage' to be installed in downtown Detroit's State Savings Bank building