''Needle, Thread and Knot'' (Italian: ''Ago, Filo e Nodo'') is a

public artwork Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically access ...

in two parts by

Claes Oldenburg Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929 – July 18, 2022) 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 ...

and

Coosje van Bruggen Coosje van Bruggen (June 6, 1942 – January 10, 2009) was a Dutch-born American sculptor, art historian, and critic.Kino, Carol. January 13, 2009 ''The New York Times''. She collaborated extensively with her husband, Claes Oldenburg. Biography ...

Piazzale Cadorna Piazzale Cadorna (''Cadorna Square'') 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 Wa ...

Milan, Italy Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

. Commissioned by the City of Milan as part of the renovations of the

Milan Cadorna railway station Milano Cadorna is a commuter railway station located near the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy. History The original station, built in wood in the style of a chalet, was opened in 1879. This was enlarged in 1920, but the station was destroyed du ...

, and unveiled in February 2000, the sculpture is a fountain made of

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

and reinforced plastic, painted with polyester gelcoat and

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethan ...

enamel. The "knot" is placed in the middle of a fountain on the middle of the square while the

sewing needle A sewing needle, used for hand-sewing, is a long slender tool with a pointed tip at one end and a hole (or ''eye'') to hold the sewing thread. The earliest needles were made of bone or wood; modern needles are manufactured from high carbon steel ...

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. According to the City of Milan, it is also meant as a tribute to Milan's influence in the

fashion industry Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

. The three thread colours (red, green, yellow) selected by the artists are meant to reflect the three lines of the

Milan Metro The Milan Metro ( it, Metropolitana di Milano) 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 ...

at the time.Angela Maderna and Michele Robecchi, ''Arte Pubblica , Milano'', Postmedia Books, Milan, pp. 46-47

References

External links

Ago, Filo e Nodo (Needle, Thread, and Knot)
at Oldenburgvanbruggen.com

at ''TRAMA E ORDITO - il blog della moda'' (''Warp and Weft - a fashion blog'')
Arredo urbano. Nuova vita per i monumenti e le fontane di Milano
("Street furniture. New Life for the monuments and fountains of Milan") at comune.milano.it {{DEFAULTSORT:Needle, Thread and Knot Buildings and structures in Milan Sculptures by Claes Oldenburg Sculptures by Coosje van Bruggen Monuments and memorials in Milan Outdoor sculptures in Milan

See also

References

External links