The Vertical Earth Kilometer, Public art installation in Friedrichsplatz Park, Germany
The Vertical Earth Kilometer is an 18-ton solid brass rod, five centimeters in diameter and one kilometer long, sunk so that its end sits flush in the center of a two-by-two-meter red sandstone plate. The plate lies at a footpath crossing on the sightline from the Fridericianum toward the monument of Landgrave Frederick II. The visible top is a small round disc of dull metal, with no label or plaque.
The installation was completed in 1977 after a specialized drilling team spent seventy-nine days on the project. The work involved boring through six distinct geological layers using specialized equipment.
The artwork expresses a relationship between what we see on the surface and what lies hidden below. Visitors notice only a small brass circle on red sandstone, yet the main piece stretches far beneath them.
The artwork sits freely accessible in a public park where anyone can visit without advance notice. The best time to view it is in clear weather when the red sandstone marker stands out clearly.
Though the piece extends enormously deep, only a small brass disk appears above ground, which was the artist's intention to remain mostly hidden from view. This contrast between the vast underground extent and the tiny visible portion stays with visitors long after they leave.
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