Mirage | Katie Paterson and Zeller & Moye
Commission for Apple, Cupertino, USA, opening 2023

Mirage, by Katie Paterson and Zeller & Moye for the olive grove adjacent to the Visitor’s Center at Apple Park, will be created from cylinders of pure cast glass, made of sand collected from deserts across the Earth. Sand from subtropical deserts, coastal, rain-shadow, interior, mountainous, volcanic and fossilized deserts will be melted into glass. Over four-hundred cast glass columns will combine the deserts of the Earth into clear, wave-like forms, mimicking desert dunes. Visitors can interact with the artwork, walking alongside and through it, where the glass will subtly melt into the landscape, like a desert mirage.

Mirage blends art, architecture, science and nature. It will have strong material presence, connecting to the elements. Social and connective, the artwork will create an unexpected gathering place for visitors and staff. The glass columns are glimpsed through the trees from Apple’s Visitor Center, the highway and beyond, generating a sense of discovery.

The artwork will be installed in 2023.