Although falling snow can be beautiful, a sudden snowstorm brought Stockholm to a standstill on February 11, 2011. This development didn’t hinder the opening of American artist Chris Doyle’s new projection piece, ‘Underglow’ at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. This large-scale video animation, a glowing three dimensional light sculpture, reflects both past and future worlds in a grounded present. Some two hundred guests visited the residence to see the piece, which will be on display for the public in Nobel Park during the darker hours until March 25, 2011.

The project, commissioned by Ambassador Matthew Barzun and Mrs. Brooke Brown Barzun, helped inaugurate the opening of their new project, ‘A Different Kind of Light.’ Since moving to Sweden, the Barzuns have learned to celebrated the beauty of the Scandinavian Winter and to “not think of winter as dark, but rather as providing a different kind of light,” according to Brooke Barzun. Additionally, the couple has felt such a warm welcome since they have been here that they are presenting the display to the City of Stockholm as a thank you present.

Building on the success of the contemporary art show at the residence, “Transparency and Trans-formations in Contemporary American Art,” this new piece further solidifies the collaboration between artwithoutwalls, U.S. office of Art in Embassies, and the ambassadorial couple.