Caltech Hall Pond Bridge: Art or Annoyance?

For the astute eyes on campus, you may have noticed something different about Caltech Hall, specifically the bridge across the pond. But for those who may not know, the bridge going across Caltech Hall Pond has been completely covered in gold leaf, or so it seems. That is because this golden glimmer upon the bridge is actually an art installation called *This Moment in Time *by Lita Albuquerque, and it is one piece of an art exhibition hosted by the Caltech Library, *Crossing Over: Art and Science at Caltech, 1920 2020 *as part of a greater art event of Getty PST ART. While *This Moment in Time *may be striking and hard to miss, unfortunately I don’t think someone would take a first glance at the bridge and think that it is representative of stellar nucleosynthesis. I believe the vast majority will most likely see it as an initially “cool” or “dazzling” piece. Then they’ll see it as a minor inconvenience as some pathways, such as the route from Beckman Lawn/Baxter Lecture Hall to East Bridge (a popular one for frosh), are hindered by the art piece. Combine this with the construction around the turtle pond and a little bit of Caltech Hall, and the navigating surrounding area becomes a minor inconvenience. As stated on Caltech’s website regarding this installation (and several others): “Caltech Hall Pond Bridge will feature an outdoor art installation, This Moment in Time, by artist Lita Albuquerque. The bridge will be coated in artificial gold leaf in reference to the stellar nucleosynthesis of gold and other elements theorized at Caltech. The bridge will be inaccessible for pedestrian use from September 9 through December 15.”

To put it simply, the bridge across Caltech Hall Pond will be closed essentially until the end of Fall term (December 13th), and many of us will have to wait until after the holidays until we can use it again.

At this moment in time however, it seems some are already fed up with the installation, as seen in a photo taken on September 30, 2024 at around 6:00 pm (shown at right). (Please do not vandalize or commit property destruction). So whether you admire its dancing shimmers under the light or wish it was removed already so you can save a minute of extra walking, *This Moment in Time *is here to stay (again, until December 15th).