Seed Media Group: Blog

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 • Noted • by Eva Wisten • #

A spider web as man would build it

With the help from astrophysicists, spider researchers, architects, engineers, and a lot of elastic black rope, Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno has constructed a gigantic version of a Black Widow’s web in Bonniers Konsthall (Bonnier’s Hall of Art) in Stockholm. (The hall is about 400 cubic meters.) The project, called ‘14 Billions’ is inspired by how scientists use the spider web to model the structure and origin of the universe. Along with the exhibition, Bonniers Konsthall is publishing a book with texts from the artist and the involved scientists as well as producing a lecture series with physicists and mathematicians.

Saraceno is Inspired by architects and theoreticians such as Richard Buckminster Fuller, Peter Cook, and Yona Friedman. His main interests as an artist is to explore how scientific innovations can develop new ideas for a more sustainable society and how art may build dreams for the future.

14 Billions is up until June 20.

Tomás Saraceno in front of his web.