Public art is meant to be observed, but Sarmistha RayHis latest commission invites people to really get into the composition. In the new Pittsburgh Arts Landing in the urban space, the artist has transformed a pair of pickleball courts into a colorful geometric mural that functions as a fully playable surface. Each match becomes part of the artwork itself.
Photo by Ross Ribblett; courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Titled Geometry of the gamethe installation marks Pittsburgh’s first artist-designed pickleball courts and joins seven other public art commissions at Arts Landing, a new gathering space developed by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The boundaries of the field serve as the foundation for an abstract composition, which is inspired by the visual logic of historical board games.
Drawing from board games like the Indian game Pachisi (later adapted to Parcheesi in the United States), the mural layers intertwine circles, triangles, grids and paths into a kaleidoscopic composition. The design covers the full ROYGBIV color range. the rainbow reference serves as a symbol of inclusion while encouraging shifting visual relationships as players move across the surface.
Guests play pickleball at the “Geometry of Play” unveiling. Photo by Chris Uhren; courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Geometry of the game it changes as the courts are used. Player movement activates the design, reinforcing pickleball’s reputation as an accessible, social sport, turning the courts into a shared urban space for recreation and gathering.
The commission continues Ray’s multidisciplinary practice, which spans painting, installation and public art. Born in Calcutta and raised in Kuwait before moving to the United States, the artist often draws from South Asian visual traditions while exploring themes of identity, belonging and cultural exchange through geometric abstraction.
Photo by Chris Uhren; courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Ray’s recent works include large-scale; facility at Grand Central Terminala supply for the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airportand animated works created with an original score by Grammy Award-winning musician Arooj Aftab.
Designed by a landscape architecture firm Field operationsthe $31 million Arts Landing development combines public art, performance, recreation and community programming in the Pittsburgh Cultural District. Geometry of the game participates in installations by artists such as Vanessa German, Thaddeus Mosley, Shikeith, Mikael Owunna and Marques Redd, Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis, Darian Johnson and John Peña, with initial commissions remaining open for at least a year.
Photo by Ross Ribblett; courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Arts Landing is free and open to the public daily from 7am to 10pm
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