A Stunning New Art Installation Is Crafted From Real Travelers' Luggage

When you're rushing through the airport in search of your gate, it can be easy to overlook your surroundings. However, if you pass through Concourse B in Denver Airport in 2025, you should definitely pause to admire an epic new art installation that's currently in the works. Airports can sometimes be stressful places, but they're also full of unique design elements and incredible displays of public art if you take a moment to look around. 

Since the mid-20th century, when air travel began to surge in popularity, airports have been commissioning unique art displays. At first, they were mostly aviation-themed murals and sculptures, but the airport art trend now encompasses a variety of mediums and artistic styles. Denver International Airport — one of the largest and busiest airports in the United States — is already awesome. It's full of immaculate dining options and beautiful art and is considered the most sustainable airport in America. The newest artistic addition to DEN is shaping up to be something incredibly special.

The new sculpture will be crafted entirely from real travelers' luggage. The artist, Thomas Evans, also known as Detour, says the project is expected to be completed by spring 2025. His website features a rendering of what the finished sculpture will look like — brightly painted suitcases in shades inspired by Colorado sunrises and sunsets that will be attached in an infinity-symbol shape and suspended from the ceiling. On November 9, 2024, Denver Airport shared a sneak peek of the project on their official Instagram account with the cheeky caption, "We're bringing a whole new meaning to "We've got baggage."

The sculptural art project is entitled "It's Not What You Take, It's What You Bring Back" and will measure around 30 feet in length once completed. Over 200 pieces of luggage are being used to create the sculpture, all of which were donated by "entities and individuals throughout Colorado," according to Evans. In a Reddit comment, he described the project further, "I did a donation outreach where Colorado residents could donate their luggage with a story about the history of the luggage so that people could learn more about the materials that comprised the sculpture." He has collected over 100 unique stories to share as part of his installation.

"By using Colorado luggage, the work is an open invitation to learn about each other. I wanted the work to strike a common chord amongst all travelers regardless of background. I hope that once installed, the work gives travelers an opportunity to feel more connected with each other as we are all figuring out this thing called life," he said in a press release. 

In an email exchange with Explore, Evans shared a sneak peek of the stories behind each suitcase. They include the luggage used by Frontier's first-ever male flight attendant, a bag used by an immigrant when he moved from the Bhutanese Refugee Camp to Colorado, and another that journeyed with a Peace Corps Volunteer to 35 different countries and five continents. Together, the bags have traveled all over the world. On his website, Evans described the project's deeper meaning. "The goal is to symbolize the 24/7 nature of both the airport and the journey of life, as well as memorialize the stories and experiences you gain when you travel."

Thomas "Detour" Evans is a multi-disciplinary artist who focuses his creative energy on large-scale public art displays. He uses many different mediums in his work as he experiments with visual art, music, and interactive tech. "I occupy the spaces at the intersection of traditional contemporary art and sound by using a multiplicity of materials and technology. Each interactive painting/installation is a unique experimentation of the relationship that tangible objects and color have with our interpretation of how they sound. With influences extracted from musical instrument design and abstraction, my work allows the opportunity for audiences to layer each piece with their own personal form of poetry," he explained on his website.

Evans might get to see his newest creation every time he flies, considering Denver is his home base. He is well-known in the Denver area for his colorful street murals. You may have spotted some if you've traveled around the city or dined at the trendy Parkside Eatery + Bar. One of his interactive pieces is on display at the Denver Art Museum. Viewers can trigger different sounds by moving their hands around in front of the art. In addition to his public art displays and exhibits, he's written a book for artists entitled "Be The Artist: An Interactive Guide To A Lasting Art Career," which serves as a guidebook for those hoping for an artistic career.

His new sculpture at Denver International has a $450,000 budget, which is funded by the city's 1% for Public Art Ordinance. According to a video posted on his website, it is the largest public art call of his career so far. If you're traveling through Denver International Airport in 2025, make sure you check it out.