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#timeOctober 7, 2021
Grace Ebert“Earthtime 1.78” (2021), Vienna. All images © Janet Echelman, shared with permission
Suspended in public squares and parks, the knotted sculptures that comprise Janet Echelman’s Earthtime series respond to the destructive, overpowering, and uncontrollable forces that impact life on the planet. The Boston-based artist (previously) braids nylon and polyurethane fibers into striped weavings that loom over passersby and glow with embedded lights after nightfall. With a single gust of air, the amorphous masses billow and contort into new forms. “Each time a single knot moves in the wind, the location of every other knot in the sculpture’s surface is changed in an ever-unfolding dance,” a statement about the series says.
The outdoor installations are modeled after geological events that have extensive effects beyond their original locations and the power to increase the planet’s daily rotational speed. All of the titles allude to the number of seconds lost during a specific occurrence, with “Earthtime 1.78” referring to Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami and “Earthtime 1.26” speaking to a 2010 tremor in Chile.
Containing innumerable knots and weighing hundreds of pounds, the monumental nets are the product of countless hours and a team of architects, designers, and engineers who interpret scientific data to imagine the original form. Each mesh piece begins in the studio with techniques done by hand and on the loom, and the threads are custom-designed to be fifteen times stronger than steel once intertwined. This allows them to withstand and remain flexible as they’re exposed to the elements, a material component that serves as a metaphorical guide for human existence.
Echelman will exhibit an iteration of “Earthtime 1.26” in Jeddah from December 2021 to April 2022, with another slated to be on view in Amsterdam this winter. You can see more of the prolific artist’s works on her site and Instagram.“Earthtime 1.26” (2021), Munich
Detail of “Earthtime 1.26” (2021), Munich
“Earthtime 1.78” (2021), Vienna
“Earthtime 1.78” (2021), Helsinki
“Earthtime 1.78” (2021), Vienna
“Earthtime 1.78” (2021), Borås, Sweden#earthquakes
#fiber art
#installation
#sculpture
#site-specific
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MoreAll images courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, shared with permission
Janet Echelman’s Suspended Nets Radiate Across 25 Years in ‘Radical Softness’
August 28, 2025
ArtBooks
Grace Ebert
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For two and a half decades and across five continents, Janet Echelman (previously) has established spaces for gathering, although her approach emerges from an unusual angle. The artist is known for suspending enormous nets from ceilings and outdoor structures, which often cast colorful shadows or glowing light onto their surroundings. Swaying with gusts of wind, the architectural installations invite viewers to pause and meditate on interconnectedness.
Now, the artist’s works are collected in a monograph titled Radical Softness: The Responsive Art of Janet Echelman. Published by Princeton Architectural Press and edited by Gloria Sutton, the tome chronicles Echelman’s evolution while situating her practice within contexts of art history, engineering, climate activism, and more. As this list suggests, her reach is broad, and each piece tethers larger systems to which we’re all bound, whether political and ecological or aesthetic.
“The way that my art finds power is through its resiliency and adaptability rather than brute strength, because it lets the wind move through it rather than fighting it. I think that’s a metaphor for how to live in these times,” Echelman says in the introduction.
Containing sketches, diagrams, and photos documenting both the process and final works, the book offers a broad look at the artist’s practice. It also contains interviews and essays from art historians, curators, engineers, thinkers, and more, entwining Echelman’s projects within a vast ecosystem.
Radical Softness will be released on September 16 and is available for pre-order in the Colossal Shop.
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Photo by Tian Fangfang. All images courtesy of GN Architects, shared with permission
Minimal Blades Flutter in the Breeze in a Shoreline Installation on China’s Chaishan Island
February 28, 2025
ArtDesign
Grace Ebert
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On an abandoned pier on Chaishan Island’s shore, an elegant installation rocks in the wind. Completed in 2023 by GN Architects, “The Seaside Pavillion” rests on a coastal trail frequented by tourists and locals alike.
The dynamic construction features dozens of elastic-wrapped blades that, when caught by a breeze, flit and flutter, echoing both the movement of the tide and creating a semi-shaded space for respite. “During the day, the leaves are closed,” the designers say in a statement. “In the morning and evening, when the tide starts to rise, the wings open and dance under the drive of the buoy, forming a romantic and magical scene.”
Once a fishing community, Chaishan today is mainly a tourist destination. Only 100 elderly residents still live on the island as many have left for larger cities. “The Seaside Pavillion” was commissioned by the Zhoushan government’s “Hello, Island” initiative to attract more people to move to the sparsely populated area.
While appearing delicate, the blades are designed to be resilient and to withstand typhoons. Fishing ropes provide their structure, while a rubber and steel armature creates a strong, hardy base. When a tropical cyclone threatens the island, caretakers can tie the blades down to prevent damage.
You can find more from GN Architects, whose projects span installations, landscapes, interiors, and more, on its website. (via designboom)
Photo by Liang Wenjun
Photo by Liang Wenjun
Photo by Liang Wenjun
Photo by Liang Wenjun
Photo by Liang Wenjun
Photo by Liang Wenjun
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