The Oregon State Hospital was established in 1883 to serve as Oregon’s public mental health facility. The Salem campus underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2011 in an effort to revitalize and modernize the facilities. The much-needed physical improvements created reserve funding for the One Percent for Art Program, administered through the Oregon Arts Commission. Many art projects were commissioned to be located at various sites throughout the campus for the enjoyment of the hospital community and visitors.

The artist Horatio Hung-Yan Law received a commission for the Entry Lobby artwork, envisioned a sculptural piece titled ‘I Hope, I Dream, I Wonder’, and enlisted DAO to help in the design, detailing, fabrication coordination, and construction oversight of the multi-layered artwork. Horatio’s initial two-part concept centered on interactivity — collaborating with the hospital’s patients in creating the artwork. DAO built upon this concept, coordinating the team of metal fabricators, urethane casting shop, multimedia, and lighting specialists, focusing on the physical essence of the artwork.

The second conceptual component of the artwork is a honeycomb armature, serving as a metaphor that we are all parts of a single community. This was achieved in welded stainless steel pentagons, cladding the walls and ceiling of the lobby space, supporting a series of translucent polybox vessels, illuminated to highlight origami artwork within created by the residents. An additional level of interactivity with the patients was achieved with a series of their dance movements in silhouette, overlaid upon fabric patterns and sketches by them. These are merged to create a vibrant animation sequence viewed on LCD monitors through the steel honeycomb. This interactive artwork is intended to facilitate freedom of expression and exploration through multiple media and disciplines — demonstrating that we are all connected through our desire to imagine and create.