Villareal’s installation, inspired by the museum’s architecture, which was designed by Antoine Predock in 1987, explores the blurred boundaries between abstraction, recognition and perception. Produced in collaboration with the ASU Art Museum and the Los Angeles County Art Museum (LACMA), the piece features a monolithic light board emitting points of light generated by a digital scan of the building.
“Ideas, communication, art, architecture, access and community — these interconnected concepts embody the essence of human cooperation,” Robert said, explaining his decision to support this acquisition. “This synergy is epitomized by Villareal’s artwork housed within Predock’s architecture for the ASU Art Museum, at one of the most innovative public universities, situated in one of the largest and most dynamic contemporary cities.”
“Point Cloud (ASU)” serves as a meditation on Predock’s work, revealing the deep layers and references embedded in the architecture as it ascends toward the sky and descends into the Earth. The ongoing movement of light within the installation prompts viewers to consider deeper understandings of the masses and forms around them, questioning what is visible and what is ephemeral.
The mobile three-dimensional scanning company Kaarta scanned the building inside and outside using lidar. The exterior model consists of approximately 147 million points, and the interior model consists of 53 million points.
The millions of points of light form together in the eyes of the viewer to create a spatial image of the ASU Art Museum in a three-dimensional form and allow the perspective to move throughout the structure, giving viewers a chance to understand the building in a whole new light.
“This installation is a fantastic addition to the ASU Art Museum and the Tempe campus as a whole,” said Miki Garcia, ASU Art Museum director. “It’s accessible 24 hours a day, so people can come and enjoy the piece at any time.”
Robert Moric is an entrepreneur and the creative force behind bulthaup Scottsdale and m-ARCH design studios. He collaborates with clients, architects and interior designers worldwide to craft engaging interplay between tectonics and interiors.
Avery Moric continues to build on his academic background. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in architecture at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
“There is a temporal connection between the architecture of the ASU Art Museum, built during my father’s student days, and the ‘Point Cloud (ASU)’ itself, dedicated during my time at ASU,” Avery said. “This poetic linkage connects the two of us across time in the continuum of the university’s history.”
