The Great Poetic Baggage Exchange

Spring 2025 Arts Residency- San Diego International Airport, Terminal 2

In Spring 2025, Poets Underground was selected as one of the featured artists-in-residence for the San Diego International Airport Performing Arts Residency Program. Our interactive installation, “The Great Poetic Baggage Exchange,” transformed the airport terminal into a living poetry hub where travelers could pause, reflect, and exchange the emotional “baggage” they carry for creative expression and connection.

The project was built on the idea that everyone carries something—whether it’s memories, emotions, dreams, or fears—and through poetry, we can lighten that load. Over three months, Sunny & Anthony Azzarito engaged with thousands of travelers through spontaneous art-making, typewriter poetry, and visual storytelling which transformed ordinary travel moments into acts of healing and human connection.

The Concept

The installation invited participants to metaphorically “check in” their emotional baggage and walk away lighter—through the written and spoken word. Guests could:

• Sit at our interactive typewriter station and receive a custom poem written live based on a single word, emotion, or story they shared.

• Contribute to a community art wall, where travelers added phrases, drawings, or reflections about what they carry and what they’re ready to let go of.

• Witness live performances where poetry, painting, and sound intertwined, merging the creative energy of the terminal with the collective stories of its travelers.

The experience symbolized exchange—not of material goods, but of empathy, understanding, and release.