"The Heavens Break Loose"
A controversial statuary installation in the ceiling of the Tempus Fujiato Memorial Amphetheater, designed by Marina Minimelli, The Heavens Break Loose is a collection of hundreds of devils that, when viewed from the audience space, appear to be swooping down to attack the beholders.
Originally, each of the seven-hundred sculptures had their own individual (clashing) paint designs. Donors and curators demanded the paint be removed, but Minimelli's contract gave her sole command over the design and execution, including paint. In response, an enormous black tarp was commissioned, which frequently covered the statuary during fundraisers and other events.
After Minimelli's death, her heirs were convinced to renegotiate the contract, allowing for the paint to be removed from the statues. The statuary are now often hidden with clever lighting, but it is just as common to continue covering the sculpture with the tarp.
Any discussion of The Heavens Break Loose would be incomplete without noting that, among the seven-hundred-sixteen devils in the installation is included eight angels, beautiful figures lost amidst the chaos. Minimelli was frequently asked for her motivation for adding these eight exceptions, but refused to explain until her death.
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