"For me, this hundred-foot tall aluminum sculpture composed of three figures meeting in the center, not only refers to the lightness inside our own solid bodies, but also the figures joining in the center, refer to the molecules of all human beings coming together to create our existence. This symbolism is especially poignant for this 100-foot Molecule Man on the Spree River in Berlin since the river marked the division between East and West Berlin." [Borofsky, 2010a]
In 1997, Jonathan Borofsky constructed the 30 meters tall Molecule Man, a permanent installation made of aluminium, on Spree River. His large sculptures, created by a team of multi-professionals, connect with wide range of audiences internationally; from boardrooms to public spaces, from tourists to politicians. Borofsky engages with audience through these installations, "reminding us that our shared commonality, our humanity, is the knowledge that we are here to achieve" and "his sculpture ensemble serves also as a respite—a place to go and reflect, separate from the teeming crowds and the din that surrounds and fills the site" [Klein, 2010].
The artist had also worked on the Berlin Wall in 1982, "Running Man at 2,541,898", which was carried out under cover of night, and was torn down with the Wall in 1990.
"That 'Running Man' took me about two hours to make. I had a ladder so I could paint the image all the way up to the top of the wall. Three quarters of the way through the image, the patrol truck came. We all scattered and hid behind some rubble. We left our ladder leaning up against the wall. The British [patrol was] trying to figure out what the heck is this ladder doing here. They were about to take it away, and we came out from hiding. I said I was an artist working in an exhibition in this space next door called the Martin-Gropius Bau, an international exhibition space, doing this project on the outside. They said, 'Well, have you gotten permission to do this?' And I said, 'Not really. But I’m almost finished.' They gave in. 'Don’t tell anybody that we said you could do it.' I think the painting went down with the wall [in 1990]. Somebody sent me a chip from it." (Borofsky, in Curran, 2002)Borofsky, J. [2010] Molecule Man. [Online]
http://www.borofsky.com/index.php?album=moleculemanberlin [11/06/2010]
Curran, A. (2002) Informatin about the Artist. [Online]
http://www.borofsky.com/pastwork/info.htm [11/06/2010]
Klein, M. [2010] Jonathan Borofsky On a Grand Scale. [Online]
http://www.borofsky.com/pastwork/info.htm [11/06/2010]
