Molecule Man, Aluminum sculpture in Alt-Treptow, Germany
Molecule Man is a group of three 30-metre human silhouettes cut from weather-resistant perforated aluminium plates, standing in the Spree between the Elsenbrücke and Oberbaumbrücke in Berlin. The flat figures face each other and meet in the middle, their bodies pierced by hundreds of round holes of varying sizes. The work weighs about 45 tonnes.
American artist Jonathan Borofsky created the work in 1999 for the water surface where three former districts come together. The installation marked the period shortly after German reunification.
The title refers to the molecular structure the artist imagined inside the human body. The holes in the three silhouettes show this idea of tiny building blocks that make up all living beings.
The sculpture is best viewed from the shore or from the water, especially from the nearby Oberbaum Bridge. Boat tours on the Spree bring visitors close and allow a full view.
The figures stand on piles in the riverbed, so they can sink into the water during heavy flooding. The aluminum material makes them light enough to remain stable even in wind.
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