The Great Circle Route: A Metaphorical Journey

This installation requires a short stroll to fully study and appreciate the directional accuracy and scale of the piece. "I wanted to reflect a voyage of exploration for travelers, but I also wanted it to be experiential, to create a rhythm and flow that would make visitors want to walk around the space," said Basa, a Bloomington, Indiana native. The Great Circle Route: A Metaphorical Journey, depicts a galaxy of moons, starbursts, planets and "galactic dust" entwined with each point on a giant compass.

• Artist: Lynn Basa, Chicago, Illinois
• Installation: 2008
• Materials: Terrazzo, mosaic, and fiber optics; 220 feet by 10 feet
• Fabricators: Santarossa Mosaic & Tile Co., Indianapolis, and Miotto Mosaics, Carmel, New York
• Location: Civic Plaza

The vibrant colors–colbalt, green, gold and red set against nighttime blacks and grays–reflect natural, organic tones found in the Indiana landscape, and a fiber-optic detail depicting the North Star. Travelers can walk around The Great Circle Route, spanning 6,300 square feet located in Civic Plaza, in approximately 300 steps.