What’s Up With The Creepy Apocalyptic Paintings In Denver International Airport? » Design You Trust — Design Daily Since 2007
What’s Up With The Creepy Apocalyptic Paintings In Denver International Airport? – Design You Trust — Design Daily Since 2007

What’s Up With The Creepy Apocalyptic Paintings In Denver International Airport?

Filled with fire, dead bodies, and terrified children, there’s a certain painting at Denver International Airport that seems a bit out of place.


Spencer McKee; OutThere Colorado

Titled “In Peace and Harmony with Nature,” this mural by Leo Tanguma has resulted in raised eyebrows over the years, leaving many travelers wondering why such a graphic work hangs in a hallway next to baggage claim. Some onlookers have left offended, while other people have claimed that the painting is at the center of a conspiracy theory that revolves around Denver International Airport and the Illuminati. Let’s take a look at why the painting exists and try to interpret its meaning. While the mural might seem random, a more in-depth look points to that being far from the case.

h/t: outtherecolorado

The baggage claim mural is actually one of four by the same artist at Denver International Airport, each painted in 1995 during the airport’s construction. The four paintings make-up two overarching pieces of art, the first being “In Peace and Harmony with Nature” and the second titled “Children of the World Dream of Peace.” While the violent nature of each can be a bit distracting, closer analysis makes their messages (a little) more clear.

First, let’s take a look at “In Peace and Harmony with Nature.” The first mural of this set features a fiery scene in which massive tree trunks burn brightly, sending smoke billowing across the top of the mural. Children and a young woman are seen fleeing the flames, as some carry extinct animals in glass cases.


Kimberly Saavedra

The foreground of the scene also features two bodies in caskets, a dead tortoise, and the ribcage of a large animal.


Spencer McKee; OutThere Colorado

This scary scene contrasts with the second half of the painting (found to the right of the first), which features happy children presumably from various cultures around the world coming together in joyful celebration, while animals and their young are alive and well in the background.


Spencer McKee; OutThere Colorado

While it doesn’t appear that artist Leo Tanguma made an official statement regarding this specific piece, the official interpretation on Denver International Airport’s website states that “the first half of the mural shows children displaying great sadness over the destruction and extinction of life, as the second half of the artwork depicts humanity coming together to rehabilitate and celebrate nature.” Though this description is slightly less morbid than the mural appears at first glance, some also argue that the paintings could be viewed in opposite order or even as alternate realities of the same scene, possibly meant to imply that without peace across cultures, chaos will ensue.


Spencer McKee; OutThere Colorado

This idea that Tanguma has the goal of teaching a lesson through artwork is reinforced by his other set of murals at DIA, perhaps more striking than “In Peace and Harmony with Nature.” This second set, titled “Children of the World Dream of Peace,” also features two paintings that depict very different realities. The scenery of one painting is of a city in decay, and the central character is a soldier in a mask who is brandishing a sword and rifle above sleeping children while stabbing a dove.


Eric Golub

The second painting features people of diverse cultures celebrating above what appears to be the corpse of the same soldier, complete with two doves resting on the butt of the soldier’s gun.


Maxim B.

Tanguma gave a bit more of an explanation for this one in an interview with Zing Magazine, claiming that it depicts a biblical lesson from Isaiah and Micah: that it’s possible for nations of the world to stop war by joining together. He then goes on to explain that the children are dreaming of peace in a world filled with war. This falls in line with the many murals Tanguma has painted over the years, some found in elementary schools and others in prisons, many of which depict themes of growth through courage, multiculturalism, and environmentalism.


Maxim B.

The larger (and happier) mural of this second set also has an important tie to Denver. While most of the children in the painting are clearly representative of various cultures around the world, a cluster of young people in ‘90s clothing can be found at the top center above the word “peace.” These faces are actually portraits of real Denver kids that died as a result of gang violence.


Bryan Alexander

With artist Leo Tanguma (pictured with wife) representing Denver’s growing Hispanic community, while also being known for depicting socio-economic issues throughout his work, he would have been an ideal candidate in this scenario. It’s also possible that the artist was simply selected to create a piece that would stimulate conversation about the environment, diversity, and the pursuit of peace for years to come.


Bryan Alexander

Additionally, with the grand lesson of the murals – that diverse cultures coming together can result in prosperity – still in mind, their placement at DIA might be a stroke of genius. After all, an international airport like the one found in Denver is perhaps home to more multicultural interaction than anywhere else in the country. People fly in from nearly every corner of the globe, forced to rub shoulders and share in the experience of travel. Perhaps Tanguma recognized this, knowing that his message would be seen by a more diverse collection of people here than anywhere else. Perhaps he believed that this placement would give his message the best chance of not only being heard, but also being adopted.

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to Design You Trust Facebook page.

More Inspiring Stories

How To Look Smart In Zoom Meetings, an Illustrated Guide by Sarah Cooper

"Truth Facts": The Truthiest Truths And Factiest Facts Of Everyday Life

The Moody, Mysterious World Of Pixel Artist, Illustrator And Videographer APO

Funny Illustrations About Sloths And Their Daily Life Struggles By Japanese Artist Keigo

9 Painfully True SEX-Pectations Vs Reality

Artist Wil Hughes Shows How Pop Culture Icons Would Look In Real Life, And It Will Give You Nightmares

Well of Eternity: Stunning Sci-Fi Concept Artworks of Sung Choi

Artist Jane Radstrom Creates Stunning Portrait Paintings With Photographic Effects

Praestigus Daemonum: Witches, Demons And Fallen Priests In Dark And Horror Artworks Of Bogdan Rezunenko

Ugly Holiday Rompers Are Finally Here For All Your Office Party Needs

Polish Artist Covers City Streets In Intricate Lace Patterns

Expanding Famous Album Covers with Adobe Photoshop’s New Generative Outpainting Feature

The Emancipation Of Dissonance: Surreal Artworks By Charlie Davoli

Japanese Illustrator Tacomaru Provides Stylish Take on Popular Cartoon Characters

Realistic And Expressive Drawings By Dino Tomic

8-Bit Horror Experiments: Stunning Pixel Concept Artworks of Nick Carver

Postcards From the Factory: Beautiful AI-Generated Memorabilia Postcards by Visua_AI_Poetry

Hilarious Russian Village Ads For Hollywood Movies

Creative Advertisements by Asile Studio

The English Dance of Death: Thomas Rowlandson’s Scathing Memento Mori 1814-1816

Plans For Future Forms: AI-Generated Furniture Blueprints by Lilyillo

Kid Literature Illustrations I Do About The Inventions That I Saw In The Year 2098

Fantastic Illustrations By Waldemar von Kozak

Incredible Concept Art Of Our Favorite Pop Culture Characters And More By Michael Kutsche

Fantastic Digital Art & Photo Manipulations By Cristian Girotto

The Best Street Art Masterpieces of 2013

25 Sexy But Not Sexy Vintage Album Covers

Legotypes: This Artist Creates Famous Brand Logos Out Of LEGO Bricks

Henri Thiriet’s Striking Posters from the Belle Époque Era

Make Every Meal Fancier