Artist team describes 'Wind Forms' mural in Albuquerque, called New Mexico's tallest

Speakers described a large public mural titled Wind Forms in Albuquerque, credited to artist Ivan Tost de Pena and his team, and discussed the piece's design, installation method and lighting effects.

The work, which speakers said was painted last summer, was presented as a study in layered, flowing forms inspired by local wind patterns and geology. "So the initial concept was based around this idea of a wind pattern," Speaker 1, a staff member, said. "The piece itself is titled Wind Forms...the idea of the wind sort of forming the landscape."

Why it matters: speakers framed the mural as a large-scale public-art investment that interacts with existing building facades and the Albuquerque skyline. "The colors are really trying to capture some of our skyline, a little bit of the Sandias, a little bit of the Rio, the Rio Grande, the changing colors of the Bosque," Speaker 1 said, describing the palette and local references.

Speakers said the installation used extensive previsualization. "We went through a lot of process and 3 d modeling and and actually mapping it to the building," Speaker 1 said. They described using renderings and a high-powered projector to transfer outlines to the wall; the team chalked the design and then painted from scaffolding and a swing stage. Speaker 2, a staff member, identified the artist: "It is by an artist, Ivan Tost de Pena. He and his team of artists spent a good part of the summer last summer painting this piece. The element about it that is really exciting is the lighting effects that we had as an integral part of the mural."

Speakers emphasized the mural's scale and visual effects rather than funding or permitting details. "It's essentially, at this point, a glorified color by numbers...and it feels...it's exciting to actually be a part of something that's at this scale and being something, you know, one of the larger pieces in Albuquerque," Speaker 1 said. Speaker 2 added, "It is actually the tallest mural in New Mexico, which is amazing." That statement was reported from the meeting transcript and was not independently verified in the record.

Installation details mentioned in the discussion included 3-D modeling and renderings, scaffold and swing-stage access, projection to map outlines, chalking and hand painting, and integrated lighting intended to accentuate colors and create an animated effect. Speakers said the team favored organic, flowing forms and striations intended to evoke erosion and local geology.

No formal votes, funding amounts, or permit approvals were recorded in the provided transcript excerpts. The discussion in the transcript focused on artistic concept, methods and visual aims; speakers did not provide further details about ownership, maintenance, funding sources or a formal unveiling timeline.