Maya Lin to Create 'Floating Landscape' at UT Austin, Her First Public Artwork in Texas

Maya Lin, renowned for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will create her first public artwork in Texas at the University of Texas at Austin. Commissioned by the university's Landmarks public art program, the installation titled 'Floating Landscape' is scheduled to open in April 2027. It will occupy a 3,600-square-foot outdoor space near the Autry C. Stephens engineering building, integrating sculptural, architectural, and ecological design elements.

The work is designed as both art and an inhabitable space, according to Andrée Bober, founding director of Landmarks. It will feature a curvilinear concrete structure with an opening where native plants will grow, surrounded by a restored meadow developed with Lionheart Places and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Embedded LED lights will depict the constellations as they appeared over Austin on the night of the university's founding in 1883.

This commission adds to Lin's portfolio of major public works, including the Civil Rights Memorial in Alabama. The project reflects a growing trend in university public art programs to commission large-scale, site-specific installations. 'Floating Landscape' is expected to become a significant cultural landmark for the campus and the broader Texas art community.