Echoes of the city: the making of Janet Echelman’s aerial sculpture

When Janet Echelman’s block-size aerial sculpture stretched over Boston’s Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, it seemed mysteriously suspended over the city. A companion exhibition, “Echoes of the city: the making of Janet Echelman’s ‘As if it were already here,’” drew back the curtains on the sophisticated technologies and techniques used in creating this astonishing work of art.

I curated an exhibition that traced the steps leading to the creation of Echelman’s aerial sculpture

Janet Echelman’s aerial sculptures hang in some of the world’s most recognizable galleries and public spaces. They seem to be made of not much more than light and color, mesh and mood. But the process of creating these delicate pieces is indebted to advanced digital modeling, structural engineering, and innovative manufacturing.

Accompanying Echelman’s first Boston installation, “As if it were already there,” I curated an exhibition that traced steps leading to the final product. I transported crates from Echelman’s studio, each filled with models, prototypes, sketches, and other debris of the creative process; commissioned an augmented reality interface; and collected insights from the artist herself.

Presented by the design firm Sasaki in partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the exhibition offered a richly illustrated and interpreted view of the sculpture. I also organized a series programs that brought Echelman into dialogues with curators, architects, and the public.