Janet Echelman's 1.78 Madrid Suspended Over Plaza Mayor for 400th Anniversary

From February 9 to 19, 2018, Janet Echelman's monumental sculpture 1.78 Madrid was installed above Plaza Mayor in Madrid, celebrating the square's 400th anniversary. The work is part of her Earth Time series, initiated in 2010, which explores time. The title 1.78 refers to the seconds NASA scientists say the day shortened after the 2011 Japan earthquake, which altered Earth's rotation. The sculpture, made of high-strength polyethylene fibers tied in knots, floated above the statue of King Philip III, shifting with wind and weather, and was illuminated at night. Echelman, born in 1966 in Tampa, Florida, drew inspiration from Asian travels: studying calligraphy in Hong Kong, textile techniques in Bali, and learning from fishermen how to create net-like structures. The installation coincided with ARCOmadrid, the annual February art fair, and other concurrent Madrid events including JustMad, Drawing Room, Art Madrid, Supersimétrica, Urvanity, and Hybrid.