High above the New York skyline, a helicopter approaches the water between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay. A huge object is attached to the helicopter.
The object is released and falls through the air. It falls towards the water, and at a height of 417 meters, white smoke begins to pour out of the object, so that a trail of smoke is drawn downward through the air. As it collides with the water five seconds later, the last standig of the Twin Towers is recreated in smoke in its full stature – ONE : ONE.
“And this solitary tower, which still stands, surrounded by the smoke from the destruction
of the other tower, its twin, is like a lonely human being in the most exposed and vulnerable
state, who in all its frailty faces a chaotic and unpredictable world.”
In a few minutes, the sculpture dissolves into the air, but will still be part of our memory.
ONE:ONE – THE CONSTRUCTION
The steel construction is a huge cross consisting of four cone-shaped, triangular structures. Steel cable is
stretched from the end of the cross to form a square of 63,4 meters x 63,4 meters. This is also the ground
area of each of the Twin Towers.
On each of the four sides, smoke bombs are attached along the steel cable. The number of smoke bombs is 60 on each side which equals that was the number of vertical columns, that held the facade of the Twin Towers.
From the lowest cross string in the construction are attached steel cable which runs down to a weight. The construction is built so that the weight is distributed uniformly. Because the weight works like a gravity engine the construction will function like a parachute. From the topmost of the strings are attached strings of steel cable, which lead up to a lifting eye that can be attached to the helicopter.
The entire construction is elevated by a helicopter to an altitude of approximately 1000 meters. Afterwards, the construction is released and falls towards the water. During the first 583 meters, the construction picks up speed until it reaches maximum velocity. When it is 417 m above the water it should have reached a velocity of 300 km per hour. At that height, all the 240 smoke bombs are ignited whereupon each bomb draws a long, straight, vertical trail of white smoke. Approximately five seconds after the smoke bombs are ignited the construction will hit the water.
Together the 240 smoke trails shape the North of the Twin Towers in smoke – 1:1.
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Artist… Simon Debel.
Project Mananager and Conceptionel Design… Steen Andersen
Art Assistance… Robert Debel
Test frame.