Behind every large-scale commission is a network of specialized fabricators, engineers, and foundries whose expertise turns an artist's vision into something permanent, structural, and built to last. This fall at CODAsummit, several highly accomplished makers will take the stage to share how they work — and what it takes to bring ambitious public art from concept to installation. These sessions offer rare insight into the partnerships, tools, and expertise that help turn creative vision into reality.
Check out a partial lineup below of the topics at hand, and don't wait to decide on attending these presentations in the fall– early bird registration for CODAsummit ends June 30!
Public spaces are often designed for circulation, efficiency, and passive observation. Interactive environments offer another possibility: spaces that give agency, spark curiosity, and encourage people to engage with one another in unexpected ways. Through the lens of different large-scale public installations, TRANSVERSAL will explore how immersive and responsive artworks can transform the emotional and social experience of a city.
This talk examines how interaction design, behavioral observation, and real-time data inform the creation of installations that adapt to the rhythms of a site and the people moving through it. Rather than using technology as an end in itself, TRANSVERSAL approaches it as a medium for creating presence, collective experiences, and deeper connections between people and public space.
From spontaneous play between strangers to moments of contemplation within dense urban environments, these projects reveal how interactive works can contribute to wellbeing, increase visitor engagement, and create memorable destinations that resonate beyond the duration of the installation itself. The discussion will also address the growing role of responsive public art in placemaking strategies, tourism, and cultural identity, particularly as cities seek new ways to foster connection in increasingly digital and fragmented social landscapes.
By combining immersive technologies with a human-centered design approach, TRANSVERSAL proposes a model for public art that is not only experienced, but inhabited.
Sedrick Huckaby is an artist whose paintings and drawings metaphorically express universal themes of faith, family, community and heritage. He is also a founder of Kinfolk House, a collaborative project space that features exhibitions, events and educational programs in the Polytechnic Heights neighborhood of Ft. Worth. Ignition Arts will join Mr Huckaby in discussing his project "The Last Train”, a public artwork that is designed to symbolize a type of spiritual chariot that has come to take earthly citizens to a heavenly place and the impact of his work in the community.
Toqine, the world’s largest bronze art foundry, with 40 + years of experience in executing work at monumental scale is unparallelled when size matters and when delivering on time and on budget is mission-critical. Toqine transformed an ambitious vision of a war memorial into reality by harnessing exceptional creative talent, a workforce of hundreds of highly skilled artisans and 100,000 square meters of public land. The project comprises ninety-five individual bronze soldiers, ranging from 7 to 29 feet in height, along with three fully equipped, life-size boats installed directly in the river. What was once empty waterfront has been transformed into a major cultural destination—now attracting more than 10,000 visitors each weekend and catalyzing the development of a large-scale commercial ecosystem, including a shopping mall, a five-star hotel, three museums, and numerous restaurants and businesses.
The challenges, obstacles, and solutions offer a roadmap for successful collaboration among city planners, architects, artists, and an engaged public. Toqine explains how.
Public art is no longer limited to physical locations. This talk explores how IMX3 enables artists, cities, and institutions to preserve, expand, and reimagine public art for global audiences.
Artists expand boundaries and dream up forms that defy physics and convention. This talk by Rbhu Engineering explores how engineers transform ambitious concepts into safe, buildable realities, balancing creativity with constraints through innovative systems, clear collaboration, and strategic problem-solving at the boundary of art and structure.
For over 50 years, Johnson Atelier has mastered the delicate balance between technical precision and artistic intuition. But how do you truly collaborate with an artist without overshadowing their vision? In this presentation, we'll explore the philosophy and practice of functioning as an extension of an artist's studio, not a service provider.
Using two concurrent commissions as case studies - Roberto Lugo's "Alfarero del Barrio (Village Potter)" at Madison Square Park and Adrián Villar Rojas's "First Gods, Lost Animals" at the Aspen Art Museum - we'll unpack how the Atelier's team works side-by-side with artists to amplify their creative ambitions. From initial concept through final installation, we'll demonstrate how advanced technologies (5-axis CNC milling, 3D scanning, digital fabrication) create possibilities that wouldn't exist otherwise while ensuring the artist's hand and vision remain central to every decision.
This is a conversation about collaboration, trust, and what happens when machine precision meets human creativity.
Together, these sessions form a vital part of CODAsummit 2026, offering attendees a direct look at the materials, methods, and collaborations driving the future of public art.
Questions about CODAsummit or sponsorship?
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