Janet Echelman’s Biennial of the Americas Installation

Suspended between Civic Center Park’s Greek Amphitheater and the Denver Art Museum, this multi-colored installation from artist Janet Echelman uses a net to create the visual impression of interconnection between all countries of the Western Hemisphere. It is part of the Biennial Of The Americas celebration in Denver. More photos can be found on Janet's site.

1.26, Janet Echelman’s monumental installation to commemorate the first Biennial of the Americas, engages with issues of temporality and interconnectedness surrounding the 1.26-micro- second shortening of the day that resulted from the February 2010 Chile earthquake’s redistribution of the earth’s mass. A large netted aerial sculpture – inspired by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simulation of the earthquake’s ensuing tsunami – floats high above the traffic of downtown Denver, suspended between Civic Center Park’s Greek Amphitheater and the Denver Art Museum.

By meditating on two epiphenomena of the earthquake – its impacts on the day’s length and the ocean’s surface – the work underscores the interdependence of earth systems and the global community as revealed by natural disasters. This artwork utilizes Spectra® fiber, a material 15 times stronger than steel by weight. The 80 ft. long sculpture is suspended 93 ft. above street level.

1.26 will be accessible for public viewing in Civic Center Park, 24 hours a day, seven days a week until July 31, 2010. Each night, it will be illuminated from 9pm to 6am.