The Rose Kennedy Greenway is, for lack of better wording, wicked awesome, dude. The scenic public park, already teeming with urban innovations and public art, announced on Tuesday a new addition to its engaging gallery.
Sometime in the spring of 2015, the Greenway will play host to an aerial sculpture made of knotted-fiber, courtesy of highly esteemed artist Janet Echelman. A resident of Brookline, Echelman will create the fluid art as part of her first major Boston commission.
The project is funded in part by the New England Foundation for the Arts, which is providing some backing for other various Greater Boston art projects to be created in the near future.
The synthetic sculpture will be truly one of a kind, here in Boston. It reacts to elemental forces such as wind and light, billowing and bobbing while suspended hundreds of feet above the Greenway. At night, for example, it will illuminate in vibrant patterns from reflected light. And during the day, it will cast shadows on the ground in equally alluring shapes. It’s location along the Greenway is slated for a centrally located section.
Echelman intends for her work to “connect between existing buildings to form a visual linkage and focal point for civic life,” according to the Greenway.
“Here in Boston, I’m excited to visually knit together the fabric of the city with art,” said Echelman in a statement. “The creation of the Greenway was a seminal event in the unfolding of our city, so I’m delighted and humbled to be a part of its transformation into a vibrant cultural destination.”
Similar pieces of art by Echelman have been installed in cities nationwide, as well as across the world. She’s helped to beautify the likes of Amsterdam, Sydney, Madrid, Porto, Vancouver and Singapore, and was aptly designated an Architectural Digest Innovator for “changing the very essence of urban spaces.”
“Art enriches our public spaces, sparks our young people’s imaginations, and lets visitors know we are a city of culture and creativity,” added Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. “I congratulate the Greenway Conservancy and the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation who have set the stage for internationally acclaimed Janet Echelman to activate and transform our skyline.”
