Detail of a hanging installation of various brightly colored wind spinners that variously show tears, guns, bullets at their centers.
A work similar to The Air up There titled Spinner Forest was on view at MCA Chicago’s “Nick Cave: Forothermore.”
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago.

A kinetic sculpture by Nick Cave formerly installed at the Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal may be permanently grounded after its spinner broke off and fell to the floor in October. A subsequent engineering report found that thought the $1 million artwork did not injure anyone during the incident, the spinners’ connectors cannot support the work’s weight and movement over time, posing a risk of future failures. City officials later removed the sculpture, which features 2,800 spinners suspended from the check-in hall ceiling, the Kansas City Star reports.

The report cited the failure of fishing clip-style connectors as the primary issue, but did not provide solutions for reengineering the artwork. While discussions have begun over potentially reengineering or relocating the piece, no decisions have been made. The Air Up There will remain a city asset, though it may wind up in storage indefinitely if no viable options emerge. 

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Cave, a Kansas City Art Institute alumnus and a faculty member at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, did not immediately respond to an ARTnews request for comment. However he did express disappointment over the decision through James Martin, the city’s public art administrator, according to the Star. 

Upon its debut the sculpture was praised for its vibrant design, which stars animals native to the region and symbols of equality and love. Cave is not obligated to refund his fee, as the work was guaranteed against manufacturing defects for only one year. The city’s will reportedly not be reimbursed for its cost.

Kansas City International Airport allocated $5.65 million for public art in its $1.5 billion terminal, exceeding the city’s 1 percent requirement for art funding. Cave’s installation was the second most expensive among the 28 commissioned works, surpassed only by Leo Villareal’s $1.2 million Fountain (KCI).