Frequently asked questions
How commissioning large-scale public art works with Poetic Kinetics — and answers to the questions cities, festivals, and institutions ask most.
Commissioning & cost
- How much does a large-scale public art installation cost?
-
Every Poetic Kinetics installation is custom, so there's no fixed price — cost depends on scale, materials, site, engineering, and whether the work is temporary or permanent. We can work within the budget for most projects. The best place to start is a conversation: share your goals and budget, and we'll tell you what's achievable and recommend the right approach. Get in touch to begin.
- How do I commission a public art installation?
-
Commissioning a Poetic Kinetics installation starts with a conversation about your site, goals, timeline, and budget. From there we follow a defined six-phase process — Orientation, Ideation, Design, Production, Installation, and Strike — that takes you from first idea to a fully installed (and, for temporary works, safely removed) artwork. You can start by contacting the studio.
- How long does it take to design and install a large public artwork?
-
Timelines vary with scale and permanence, but most large-scale commissions run several months from first concept to installation — permanent civic works longer, temporary festival pieces shorter. Engaging early gives the most design freedom and the best chance of hitting a fixed event or opening date.
- Can a public art installation be temporary, or only permanent?
-
Both. Poetic Kinetics creates permanent landmark installations for cities and institutions as well as temporary works for festivals, exhibitions, and seasonal programs. Many temporary pieces can also travel to multiple venues.
- Can festival art or exhibits be rented instead of commissioned?
-
Yes. Alongside original commissions, Poetic Kinetics offers rentable works — including the Enchanted Trees traveling exhibit — that can be booked for a single venue or a multi-stop tour, which is faster and more cost-effective than a custom build.
Capability & type of work
- What is a Skynet installation (kinetic aerial sculpture)?
-
A Skynet installation is a floating, site-specific kinetic sculpture by artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, made from thousands of ultra-lightweight, shimmering elements held in a fine monofilament net. Rather than using motors, it's rigged to harness the wind — so the artwork moves on its own, revealing the invisible air currents of its location.
- How does a Skynet sculpture move without motors?
-
Skynet sculptures are intentionally built from ultra-lightweight materials and rigged on a nearly invisible net so that natural wind alone animates them. There are no motors — the movement you see is the wind made visible.
- Who makes the large art installations at festivals like Coachella and Burning Man?
-
Poetic Kinetics, founded by Patrick Shearn, is one of the studios behind the most iconic festival art installations — including the Coachella Astronaut (Escape Velocity / Overview Effect), Electric Daisy at EDC, and works debuted at Burning Man, where the studio's performance-based art form began in 2005.
- Do you create installations for museums and botanical gardens?
-
Yes. Poetic Kinetics creates kinetic and aerial exhibits for museums, botanical gardens, and cultural institutions — such as Momentum at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and Dream Flora at Atlanta Botanical Garden — available as original commissions or as the rentable Enchanted Trees traveling exhibit.
- Do you make permanent installations for cities?
-
Yes. Poetic Kinetics designs and builds permanent public art for cities and developers — such as Aspen Light on Denver's 16th Street — engineered with durable, weather-resistant materials for safe, long-term outdoor display.
- Can installations be indoor or outdoor?
-
Both. Poetic Kinetics creates work for outdoor plazas, parks, and waterfronts as well as indoor atriums, museums, and galleries, engineering each piece for its specific environment.
Trust & identity
- Who is Patrick Shearn?
-
Patrick Shearn is an American artist and the founder and creative director of Poetic Kinetics. With a background in art and film, he created the studio’s signature Skynet Art Series — large-scale, wind-activated aerial sculptures — and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, GQ, and Rolling Stone.
- What is Poetic Kinetics known for?
-
Poetic Kinetics is an international public art studio known for large-scale kinetic and interactive installations — especially the Skynet Art Series of floating aerial sculptures, and iconic festival works like the Coachella Astronaut. Its art appears in cities, festivals, museums, and botanical gardens around the world.
- Where is Poetic Kinetics based, and do you work internationally?
-
Poetic Kinetics is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has worked worldwide for 20 years, with installations across more than 20 countries — from Los Angeles and Denver to Berlin, Hong Kong, Dubai, and the Korean DMZ.
- How can public art increase downtown tourism and spending?
-
A striking public artwork gives people a reason to visit, stay longer, and share a place online — turning a plaza or street into a destination. That foot traffic supports nearby businesses and strengthens a district's identity, which is why cities increasingly use public art as a placemaking and economic-development tool.
Still have a question?
Tell us about your city, festival, or exhibition — we'll tell you what's possible.