janet echelman's ethereal net sculpture floats above streets of hong kong

as art basel hong kong commences, the peninsula hotels presents building-scale, aerial artwork by janet echelman. the exhibit marks the world premiere of the american sculptor’s latest work, ‘earthtime 1.26.’ the artist knots 31 miles of twine to create the 160-foot aerial sculpture which explores the interconnected networks of our cultural and physical world. it swoops down from 130 feet above the city streets to tie directly into the hotel’s historic architecture. transforming with wind and light, the work shifts from ‘an object you look at, into an experience you can get lost in.’

image by simon j. nicol

coinciding with art basel hong kong, the echelman installation marks the launch of the peninsula hotel’s global campaign entitled ‘art in resonance.’ echelman’s artwork will offer visitors an oasis from the chaos of daily urban life. made entirely of engineered lightweight fiber, the monumental piece is designed to travel to cities around the world as a physical manifestation of interconnectedness. the sculptor comments: ‘I’m inviting the public into a moment of calm sensory experience which heightens our awareness of the subtle changes happening around us. I create art that is as accessible and free as the air we breathe — that’s why I love to suspend it over the street where everyone feels they belong.’

image by simon j. nicol

the number within the title ‘earthtime 1.26’ refers to time — specifically to the shortened number of microseconds in a single rotation of the earth’s day due to a shift in the planet’s mass. engineered to withstand cyclones, the sculptural net is crafted of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, the same fiber used to tether the mars rover. echelman began the earthtime series in 2010 when the biennial of the americas asked her to develop a work about the interconnectedness of nations. the current ‘art in resonance’ installations at the peninsula hong kong, including echelman’s earthtime 1.26 (hong kong) are viewable to the public from march 27 through june 21, 2019.

image by nicki houghton