Pensacola's nationally recognized Foo Foo Festival will take to the skies October 30th in downtown Pensacola with a kaleidoscope of colors inspired by the Blue Angels.

"Afterburn" is an original art installation that will fly high above historic downtown Pensacola's Intendencia Street, a venue that has hosted other colorful art installations, including “The Umbrella Sky,” “Bubble Alley,” “Magic Carpet” and others, in recent years.

Friends of Downtown Pensacola has enlisted world-renowned German artist Tomislav Topic to create this unique outdoor addition to Pensacola’s vibrant cultural arts scene that offers an immersive experience for visitors to enjoy, photograph and share. The project is funded by a generous grant from Foo Foo Festival.

Visible to enjoy both day and night, it is free and open to the public. The display also offers a festive outdoor venue for organizations to stage complementary events and activities such as opera, symphony, yoga, magic shows, impromptu theatre and others. 

Based in Berlin, Topic says his aerial creation draws its inspiration primarily from the formation flights of the Blue Angels. “I've translated the precision, symmetry and fluidity of the Blue Angels' movements in the sky into the work through the concept of four distinct lines converging toward a central point, echoing the choreography of the aircraft,” says Topic. “Just as in their performances, the sky plays a vital role in the visual composition. I intentionally designed the installation to leave portions of the sky unobstructed. The result is a dialogue between the static structure, the movement of air and light, and the ever-changing backdrop of the Florida sky.”

Topic's creation is composed of a plastic mesh coated with durable lacquer paint designed specifically for outdoor use. The installation is expected to remain in place for up to six months, Topic says. "The mesh allows me to create intense, long-lasting colors. Its open weave structure introduces a unique element: a certain degree of transparency. This enables the colors of each individual layer to visually merge with those behind them, generating a subtle moiré effect as the viewer moves," he says. "This optical phenomenon creates a dynamic, almost holographic presence, in which the work seems to shift and vibrate in the surrounding light."

Afterburn will officially open on Thursday, October 30 through the end of the 12-day Foo Foo Fest and into the 2025 holiday season.

A special Foo Foo launch party will be held on Wednesday, October 29 at 5:00 pm, directly under the installation on Intendencia Street.