ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relationships between representation, art and airport spaces, and it establishes the context of the artwork proposal in the new Adelaide airport space. It describes the nature of representational texts in relation to tourism, before moving on to examine the issues of art in public places that may influence tourists and tourism practices. Tourism research has identified strong links between representational images, motivation, choice, engagement and satisfaction in travel. As the airport is often the major gateway to the anticipated travel experience, not only giving entry into the new landscapes the traveller has chosen to access but also the point of departure and the final space of engagement with the chosen destination. The chapter suggests that representation of the host culture and landscape is critical in this liminal, gateway space. People arrive in locations and often their first engagement with that location is when they step into the airport space.
