This memorial sculpture was the basis for some of the concepts that were used within the Nexus of Memory memorial submission.
Like many people, I felt helpless when confronted with the events of September 11th, 2001. This helplessness also instilled in me a feeling of determination. At the time, I noticed many within the art world having an instantaneous reaction to the tragedy and producing work that was charged with the emotions associated with something so overwhelming. After allowing myself a period of time to reconcile my own emotions with those manifesting around me and to assess the processes employed in the creation of previous memorials, I felt prepared to approach the idea of this sculpture. My initial research led me to the writings and architecture of Daniel Libeskind, whose work was of paramount influence throughout my design process.
Once the initial design of the sculpture was completed I contacted the City of New York about acquiring a section of steel beam from the former World Trade Center to be implemented into the memorial. After many inquiries, I learned about a program that was set up by the Mayor's Office, the purpose of which being the distribution of debris from the World Trade Center for educational and memorial purposes.
Drawings of the memorial were then sent through the Mayor's Office, to be reviewed by victims' family advocacy groups. On September 13, 2002, the requested steel beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center was released into my custody. I later learned that my request was the last to be honored. Of the many stipulations governing my receipt of this sacred material, perhaps the most stringent was the manner by which it would be shipped. Though the Office of Emergency Management administered the distribution of materials for the Mayor's Office, the beams' journey encountered many pitfalls. After several shipping-related complications were resolved, the beam arrived and had a very powerful impact on people from the moment it was unloaded from the delivery truck.
The purpose of the beam within the content of the sculpture is to provide both physical evidence to the events of that day as well as to serve as a sort of grounding mechanism for the viewer. The acrylic box contains 3016 steel spheres, one for each life that was lost in the tragedies of that day. These spheres reflect the gaze of the individual viewing the sculpture to remind that person that, ultimately, there is nothing that separates us as beings existing for some universal purpose. The reflections can also evoke in the observer a feeling that, in a world where fate remains the one constant, each and every one of us could have been placed on the path of demise met by those on that unfortunate day. The towers are a 500th scale representation of the actual Twin Towers.
Throughout human history, icons have emerged to deal with the passing of seismic events by which so many lives are lost. It is my belief that the image of the Twin Towers has become such an icon. This sculpture attempts to speak of the power of human memories and the emotions adhered to them when confronted with such events. The physical manifestation of these icons - brought into this plane of reality through such emotions - is the purpose behind the suspension of the towers.
- Joseph Shaeffer
