BLOOMINGTON, MN— Mall of America is excited to announce its partnership with Emmy award-winning and internationally recognized installation artist Eric Rieger, also known as HOTTEA, who will bring his unique yarn artwork to the Mall this summer.

His largest and most challenging installation to date, Rieger will string together 721 pounds of yarn featuring 103 unique colors to create an exclusive art display. The instillation process will begin July 23 and is expected to take ten days to complete. Rieger will work primarily during Mall hours so visitors can see the work in progress. Located in the Atrium at the north entrance of Mall of America, the custom artwork will be the first impression visitors from around the world receive.

Currently named, “Hot Lunch,” the upcoming art piece is inspired by his assistant, Lynn, who also works as a school lunch aid. Rieger vividly remembers his own difficulties during high school lunch period and felt a personal connection to Lynn and her story. Mall visitors will be able to watch Rieger and his team in action and see “Hot Lunch” come to life.

“Integrating art into our space is key as we continue to evolve the shopping experience for our visitors,” said Jill Renslow, senior vice president of marketing and business development. “Collaborating with such a renowned artist who also calls the Twin Cities home is a huge honor and an excellent foray into partnering with local artists.”

Rieger pulls inspiration for his elaborate, yet simple yarn installations from his grandmother, who taught him how to knit when he was a child growing up in New Ulm, Minn. His yarn work began with typography on fences, which has now grown to over a thousand fence displays around the world. Rieger has also created more than 70 large-scale installations. While Rieger still sticks to his roots with noncommissioned yarn artwork, he has collaborated with “Sesame Street,” New York Fashion Week and has been invited to display his artwork across the globe in North America, London, Berlin, Sao Paulo and Sydney.

“The foundation behind my work is to use existing infrastructure and create an artwork or idea that is in harmony within the given space,” Rieger said. “I want to give as many people as possible an opportunity to experience spaces in new ways. I want to evoke feelings of happiness and awe. Working with Mall of America on this piece gives me an opportunity to do just that.”

Upon completion, Rieger's installation will be on display at the Mall through October.