Cecil Balmond. View of H_edge Installation, Madlener House, Chicago, 2008. Graham Foundation © Michelle Litvin.
Cecil Balmond's "H_edge" Travels to Carnegie Museum of Art
Dec 16, 2009
Forum 64: Cecil Balmond
On view through May 30, 2010
Forum Gallery
Cecil Balmond has transformed the role of the engineer in contemporary architecture with his unorthodox and visionary approach that challenges staid definitions of architecture and engineering. Forum 64 features his work H_edge, which consists of approximately 6,000 aluminum plates suspended between rigid stainless steel chains. What appears to hang like metallic ivy is revealed on closer inspection to stand from the floor. This “trick” allows for H_edge segments to turn at will and create a mazelike structure that is surprisingly sturdy. Interstitial gaps offer intriguing glimpses through a structure further animated by light and reflections. H_edge is supplemented by a suite of lightboxes that illustrate the principles used by Balmond to structure many of today's most innovative buildings.
Forum 64: Cecil Balmond is presented by the Heinz Architectural Center, made possible by the generosity of the Drue Heinz Trust. General support for museum’s exhibition program is provided by The Heinz Endowments, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Allegheny Regional Asset District.
