On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of TED Conference, artist Janet Echelman in collaboration with creative director of Google’s Creative Lab Aaron Koblin, created an extraordinaire interactive aerial sculpture made from twisted nylon, braided polyester, Honeywell Spectra fiber, and interactive coloured lighting. Titled Unnumbered Sparks, the interactive net sculpture (300 ft. length x 110 ft. width x 40 ft. depth) which is twice the size of her largest previous sculpture is suspended 745 feet between the 24-story Fairmont Waterfront and the Vancouver Convention Center.
“During the daytime, the sculpture’s delicate yet monumental form is subtle, blending in with clouds and sky. At night, it comes alive with illumination. Using physical gestures, visitors will be able to choreograph the lighting in real time via their mobile devices.”
In order to turn the mega scale concept into reality, Autodesk collaborated and assisted Studio Echelman to create custom 3D software to model the sculpture and test its feasibility. “The software has allowed me to explore density, shape, and scale in much greater detail,” says Echelman. “We can manipulate our designs and see the results immediately. We’re able to push the boundaries of our designs further.”
The sculptural installation will be open to public viewing in Vancouver till 22nd March 2014 and shall be showcased in different cities around the world after the 2014 TED Conference.
Credits:
Artists: Sculpture by Janet Echelman, Interactive Art by Aaron Koblin
Sculpture Design Team: Studio Echelman: Melissa Henry, Daniel Zeese, Cameron Chateauneuf, Lucca Townsend
Interactive Art: Google Data Arts Team: Doug Fritz, Aleksandar Rodic, Jono Brandel, Max Hawkins, Chris Delbuck, Hyun Ji Bae, Sabah Kosoy, Valdean Klump, Jenny Ramaswamy, Clem Wright
Sculptural Engineering: Arup: Clayton Binkley, Hans-Erik Blomgren, Patrick McCafferty, John Hand, Cormac Deavy
Building Engineering: Glotman Simpson: Rob Simpson, Andrew Seeton
Simulation Software Engineering: Autodesk: Jeff Kowalski, Peter Boyer, Matt Jezyk, Mike Dewberry
Projection & Lighting: Graphics eMotion: Hassan Aziz, Julien Abril, Frank Dufaux, Olivier Delahousse, Louis Fortin; Kinetic Lighting: James Schipper, Geoffrey Galper
Sound Design: CMoore Sound: Connor Moore, Joel St. Julien
Network: Brown Pelican Group: Marybeth Hall, Glenn Hall
Photography: Ema Peter
Supporters:
Sculpture: Autodesk
Interactive Artwork: Google
Vancouver Co-Presenters: Burrard Arts Foundation, City of Vancouver
Vancouver Supporters: Vancouver Convention Centre, The Fairmont Waterfront, Port Metro Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver
Sculpture Materials: Honeywell Spectra®, Yale Cordage