Antipodes

Antipodes is a sculpture consisting of two curved copper panels with punched lettering, mounted on petrified wood using steel bands at the Hirshhorn Museum entrance. The work features encrypted text on each side and measures approximately 8 feet (2.4 meters) in height.

Jim Sanborn created this sculpture in 1997 as an enlarged version that replaced his smaller 1992 work through an exchange with the Neuberger Museum of Art. The piece grew out of the artist's ongoing exploration of codes and secret communication in public art.

The copper panels display encoded messages in English and Cyrillic text, referencing Cold War operations by intelligence agencies. These languages and codes reflect a moment in history when two powers viewed the world in opposing ways.

The sculpture sits at the museum entrance and remains visible at all times, regardless of museum hours. Visitors can examine the punched lettering and surface details from multiple angles at their own pace.

The English text panel replicates the unsolved fourth section of Sanborn's Kryptos installation located elsewhere in Washington. The Cyrillic side incorporates elements from his separate work titled Cyrillic Projector.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1997

Creator: Jim Sanborn

Official opening: 1997

GPS coordinates: 38.88796,-77.02256

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:54