Air Flows with Marriott Autograph Hotel at Landmark 81 tower

Statement by the visual artist Quang Lam

“The Autograph Collection Hotels, in collaboration with Vinpearl Landmark 81, has launched the visionary project “Gallery in the Sky.”  I would like to cultivate the values of international connections and exchanges, leveraging the unique setting of Vinpearl Landmark 81. My vision for “Gallery in the Sky” involves capturing captivating photographs of airplanes arriving from all corners of the globe, visible from the hotel. But invisible, they are like “Air Flows”.

Air Flows – Maps of Flights to the city 

To prepare for this project, I have created maps showing all flights from all over the world  arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport based on real data.

With a closer view of the city map, we can see that The Autograph Collection Hotel offers the best vantage point for observing flights, as it is only about 10 kilometers away from both the airport and the building.

Time Lapse photography

To visualize the path of the planes on the horizon, I will use a technical shooting call timelapse, taking a sequence of frames at set intervals to record changes that take place slowly over time.

Then all frames are overlapped into one picture creating the sensation of the plane’s motion.

Tower of Babel

My interest in the sky and aviation is deeply rooted in my family’s history. My father served as the director of the first Vietnamese airline in the 1950s, and we lived within the airport premises. During that era, people were brimming with energy, driven by the vision of contributing to a modern city. Aviation played a pivotal role in this transformation, symbolizing progress and modernity. One must not forget that Tan Son Nhat was one the busiest airports in the World!

Now, standing atop the tallest building in Southeast Asia, I feel that same energy, visualized by these flying routes and traced on the map such as electric rays powering the city. The view from it resembles that of a modern-day Tower of Babel. “

Click here to play with the 3D view