Needle, Thread and Knot | |
---|---|
Italian: Ago, Filo e Nodo | |
Artist | Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen |
Year | 2000 |
Type | stainless steel, reinforced plastic, polyester gelcoat, polyurethane enamel |
Dimensions | 18 m× 20 m× 37.5 m(59 ft× 65 ft× 123 ft) |
Location | Milan |
45°28′5.24″N9°10′35.87″E / 45.4681222°N 9.1766306°E |
Needle, Thread and Knot (Italian: Ago, Filo e Nodo) is a public artwork in two parts by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in Piazzale Cadorna, Milan, Italy.
Commissioned by the City of Milan as part of the renovations of the Milan Cadorna railway station, and unveiled in February 2000, the sculpture is a fountain made of stainless steel and reinforced plastic, painted with polyester gelcoat and polyurethane enamel. The "knot" is placed in the middle of a fountain on the middle of the square while the sewing needle is on the footpath in front of the train station. According to the artists the needle pulling thread through fabric is a metaphor for a train going through a tunnel. The thread wrapped around a needle also "paraphrased" the city emblem of a snake coiled around a sword. [1] According to the City of Milan, it is also meant as a tribute to Milan's influence in the fashion industry. [2] The three thread colours (red, green, yellow) selected by the artists are meant to reflect the three lines of the Milan Metro at the time. [3]
Tatting is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace from a series of knots and loops. Tatting can be used to make lace edging as well as doilies, collars, accessories such as earrings and necklaces, and other decorative pieces. The lace is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series of cow hitch or half-hitch knots, called double stitches, over a core thread. Gaps can be left between the stitches to form picots, which are used for practical construction as well as decorative effect.
Milan is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has 3.26 million inhabitants. Its continuously built-up urban area is the fourth largest in the EU with 5.27 million inhabitants. According to national sources, the population within the wider Milan metropolitan area, is estimated between 8.2 million and 12.5 million making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and one of the largest in the EU.
Milano Centrale is the main railway station of the city of Milan, Italy, and is the largest railway station in Europe by volume. The station is a terminus and located at the northern end of central Milan. It was officially inaugurated in 1931 to replace the old central station, which was a transit station but with a limited number of tracks and space, so could not handle the increased traffic caused by the opening of the Simplon Tunnel in 1906.
Milan has an extensive internal transport network and is also an important transportation node in Italy, being one of the country's biggest hubs for air, rail and road networks. Internal public transport network includes the Metro, the Suburban Railway, the tram and bus network, as well as taxi, car and bike sharing services.
The Italian railway system is one of the most important parts of the infrastructure of Italy, with a total length of 24,227 km (15,054 mi) of which active lines are 16,723 km. The network has recently grown with the construction of the new high-speed rail network. Italy is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Italy is 83.
The Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving Milan, Italy, operated by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi. The network consists of 5 lines, identified by different numbers and colours, with a total network length of 101.6 kilometres (63.1 mi), and a total of 119 stations, mostly underground. It has a daily ridership of about 1.4 million on weekdays.
Line 1 is the first underground rapid transit line built in Milan, Italy. It is part of the Milan Metro and it is operated by ATM. Works on the line began in 1957, and the first part was opened on 1 November 1964, running from Sesto Marelli to Lotto station. The line is also called Red Line, as it is visually identified by red signs. Due to its premiership, the line gave its red color to the Milan Metro logo.
Line 3 is a subway line serving Milan, Italy. The line is part of the Milan Metro and is operated by ATM. Construction began in 1981 in order to be ready for the 1990 Football World Cup. It is also called the Yellow Line as it is identified by yellow signage.
The Malpensa Express is an airport rail service linking the city of Milan with Malpensa Airport, in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy.
Milano Cadorna is a commuter railway station located near the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy.
Willard Park is a public park in downtown Cleveland, in the U.S. state of Ohio. The park sits at the northwest corner of East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue, adjacent to Cleveland City Hall, and is within the boundaries of the Cleveland Mall historic district. It is the location of the public sculpture Free Stamp, and is the home of the original Cleveland Fire Fighters Memorial.
Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects. Many of his works were made in collaboration with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, who died in 2009; they had been married for 32 years. Oldenburg lived and worked in New York City.
Coosje van Bruggen was a Dutch-born American sculptor, art historian, and critic. She collaborated extensively with her husband, Claes Oldenburg.
The Milano–Chiasso railway line is an Italian state-owned railway connecting Milan to Como and Chiasso, Switzerland.
Milano Affori is a railway station in the Affori neighborhood of Milan, Italy.
The Zone 1 of Milan, since 2016 officially Municipality 1 of Milan, is one of the 9 administrative divisions of Milan, Italy.
The S3 is a commuter rail route forming part of the Milan suburban railway service, which converges on the city of Milan, Italy.
The S4 is a commuter rail route forming part of the Milan suburban railway service, which converges on the city of Milan, Italy.
The Milan–Asso railway is a regional railway line with standard track gauge which links Milan to Canzo crossing for Erba and other towns in Brianza. The most northern terminal is the station of Canzo-Asso, which is located in Canzo's territory but is also known as Asso in the short form. That, because there is another station on the line called Canzo station and Canzo-Asso is next to Asso's boundary and serves this commune too.
Piazzale Cadorna is sited in the centre of Milan, near Cadorna Railway Station. The square are dedicated to Italian Field Marshal Luigi Cadorna, famous for being chief of staff of the Italian army during the First World War.