The Broken Kilometer, Installation artwork at 393 West Broadway, New York, US
The Broken Kilometer is an installation of 500 solid brass rods arranged in five parallel rows across a large room with Corinthian columns. The space transforms into a geometric grid as you move through the rods, shifting your view with each step.
Walter De Maria created this installation in 1979 as part of the expanding minimalist movement. The work emerged during a period when artists challenged traditional sculpture by focusing on simple geometric forms and spatial relationships.
The systematic arrangement of brass rods demonstrates mathematical precision and spatial order that define minimalist thinking. As you walk through the rows, you directly experience this controlled sense of organization with each step.
The gallery space is easily accessible, though you should wear comfortable shoes since you will walk through the installation to fully experience it. The floor is level and stable, making navigation between the rows safe and straightforward.
If all 500 rods were laid end to end in a line, they would stretch exactly one kilometer in total length. This geometric quality remains completely hidden in their parallel arrangement and only becomes apparent when you learn this fact.
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