MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY brings aluminum sculpture to tennessee’s knoxville park

2 hours ago7 min read

In Knoxville, Tennessee, a new landmark emerges not from stone or steel, but from a delicate lattice of painted aluminum, a testament to the evolving dialogue between art, architecture, and computational design. The studio MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY has unveiled a breathtaking sculpture in a public park, a structure that feels less built and more grown, assembled meticulously from thousands of palm-sized aluminum strips.This isn't merely a static object; it's a spatial experience, a curvilinear form that challenges our very perception of weight and solidity. The project exemplifies a design philosophy where the structural system and the final form are one and the same, a principle deeply resonant with the parametric and generative tools that are revolutionizing creative fields.Imagine the process not as traditional construction, but as a form of digital origami or 3D knitting, where algorithms help determine the most efficient and beautiful way for these thin, lightweight components to lock together into a self-supporting, cavernous shell. The choice of a vibrant, monochromatic paint job is a masterstroke, transforming the complex geometry into a pure, immersive color field that changes with the light of day, making the sculpture a dynamic participant in the park’s ecosystem.This work sits at a fascinating intersection, drawing a clear lineage from the experimental structures of Frei Otto and the organic forms of Zaha Hadid, yet it pushes further into the realm of the digitally native. It’s a physical manifestation of a code, a browser tab made real, offering a public space that feels both futuristic and intimately tactile.For the residents of Knoxville, this installation does more than beautify; it introduces a new vocabulary of form, inviting people to walk through, touch, and experience a piece of architecture that behaves like a living organism. It’s a powerful example of how AI-adjacent design tools are empowering artists and architects to create previously unimaginable structures, blurring the lines between a building, a sculpture, and a virtual model brought to life. This is not just an art piece; it's a prototype for a new way of building, lightweight and resource-conscious, pointing toward a future where our environments are as fluid and responsive as the software used to design them.

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#Marc Fornes

#THEVERYMANY

#aluminum sculpture

#Knoxville

#public art

#installation