Janet Echelman`s Earthtime 1.78 Borås sculpture was installed in Stora Torget Plaza in Borås, Sweden as part of the Borås Art Biennial between June and July 2021. The artwork is part of Echelman`s Earthtime Series which seeks to heighten our awareness about the way we are all interconnected with one another and our physical world. It explores the contrast between the forces we can understand and control with those we cannot, and the concerns of our daily existence within the larger cycles of time. Echelman`s studio modeled the physical form for “1.78” using a scientific data set about how a single geologic occurrence in one part of the world had ripple effects all over the world. They measured the change in wave heights of the ocean`s surface as they rippled across an entire ocean following an earthquake which originated off the coast of Japan in 2011. Its form is a manifestation of interconnectedness – when any one element in the sculpture moves, every other element is affected. The earth`s day was shortened as a result of this physical event and the length of time measured in microseconds - in this case, 1.78. Titles within the Earthtime series refer to that numerical measurement of time. Other sculptures include 1.26 and 1.8. “I feel a need to find moments of contemplation in the midst of daily city life,” Echelman said. “If my art can create an opportunity to contemplate the larger cycles of time and remind us to listen to our inner selves, I believe this could be transformative.” The monumental floating form of Earthtime 1.78 is composed of layers of fiber, braided and knotted together in vibrant hues that pulse with changing wind and weather to create a choreography of undulating color. At night, the sculpture comes to life with projected colored light. Lightweight and flexible, the sculpture is designed to travel to cities around the world as a physical manifestation of interconnectedness. To date, the 1.78 sculpture has been installed in Madrid, Spain (2018), Dubai, UAE (2018), Beverly Hills, CA (2019), Borås, Sweden (2021), Helsinki, Finland (2021), and Vienna, Austria (2021). Courtesy of Studio Echelman.
