Ronny QuevedoPhoto by Taylor Miller
Within the bustling environment of LaGuardia Airport hangs a striking 45-by-15-foot wooden gym floor, stretching up three stories. The piece, titled “Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime,” is part of a series by New York artist Ronny Quevedo. Born in Ecuador, but growing up in New York, Quevedo found the city’s gyms to be a place of community-building for migrant communities—a place where different identities and people from other countries could come together. This artwork is a tribute to those migrant communities and the indoor soccer leagues of his childhood, he says. Quevedo has been creating iterations of this piece since 2012, using contact paper and enamel to represent the wooden gym floors, but this one uses solid wood. Quevedo collaborated with an architect and a production company to create it using interlocking wood planks. “We wanted to honor the process of making a wood floor,” Quevedo says. “We really wanted it to be just like a real gym floor.” The lines on the piece not only represent game lines on a traditional gym floor, but they also draw parallels between the movement of players in a game and the movement of migrant peoples, he explains. The lines are abstract but energetic—“similar to how one would feel energetic when playing or watching a game,” Quevedo says. Some are made of silver and gold leaf, so when observed walking around the airport or going up the stairs, the leaf catches the light, further exemplifying movement and energy. The lines in this artwork are an amalgamation of those in the previous iterations. The title, “Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime,” encapsulates the interplay between community, time and activity within urban life. The indigenous Andes word “pacha” means “space-time,” emphasizing the continuous movement and interaction among people and the places they live. “Cosmopolitanism” reflects on city life, highlighting the energy of those who navigate their bustling routines—often working long hours before taking part in recreational leagues during scarce free time after work. The term “Overtime” refers both to the additional time spent in games and the dedication of individuals who prioritize their passion for sports amid busy schedules. “Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime” will remain on permanent installation in the airport as a poignant reminder of the role sports have in uniting diverse cultures amid the hustle of urban life.
"Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime," 2022
Paint, gold leaf, and silver leaf on wood.
Commissioned by Delta Air Lines in partnership
with the Queens Museum, New York.
Courtesy Ronny Quevedo and Alexander Gray Associates, New York © 2025 Ronny Quevedo.Photo by Argenis Apolinario
