New York (October 21, 1999) - On October 26, 1999, at precisely twelve-noon, Metronome, the 98 foot by 200 foot art wall, commissioned by The Related Companies, L.P. for the façade of One Union Square South, will come to life with a burst of steam, a melodious tone and the illumination of the digital time piece, officially inaugurating this remarkable gift to the City of New York. The inauguration ceremony, which begins at 11:30 a.m., will be hosted by Stephen M. Ross, Chairman and CEO of The Related Companies, L.P., the Manhattan-based owner/developer of One Union Square South, and David J. Wine, President, Related Residential Development, both of whom were instrumental in the creation of Metronome. Also in attendance will be the artists, Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel, as well as Charles A. Gargano, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Empire State Development Corporation, Schuyler G. Chapin, New York City's Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, as well as representatives from the Public Art Fund and The Municipal Art Society.

"It is extremely gratifying to see the completion and dedication of this monumental public art work that was conceptualized more than three years ago. The Related Companies recognized the unique and important location of Union Square South as a crossroad of the city and we wanted this artwall to reflect our commitment to contributing to the cultural value of this vibrant community," stated Stephen M. Ross.

The Related Companies' David J. Wine, a key force behind the support of the project explained "Metronome represents an unprecedented commitment to public art by a private company. We at The Related Companies are delighted to see the realization of this artwall as Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel originally proposed. Metronome not only brings a new aesthetic to Union Square South but also changes the way we view the city."

Susan K. Freedman, Visible for twenty-eight blocks, Metronome will punctuate the southern terminus of Park Avenue South - just as Grand Central Station, with its south-facing clock, punctuates the street's northern terminus. Metronome, located on the northern façade of One Union Square South, complements the 500,000 square-feet retail, entertainment and residential complex designed by Davis Brody Bond LLP. Following a national artists' competition organized by the Public Art Fund, Kristin Jones / Andrew Ginzel's proposal was selected out of 200 nominations that were chosen to be reviewed by an advisory panel made up of representatives from The Related Companies, The Municipal Art Society, the Union Square Community Coalition and the 14th Street / Union Square Local Development Corporation Business Improvement District.

President of the Public Art Fund states: "Metronome is a stunning addition to the city, providing an exciting and appropriate timepiece for the millennium and beyond. The creation of Metronome demonstrates that private commitment to public art is very much alive and well in New York City." Metronome, the title given to the public artwall by Kristin Jones / Andrew Ginzel, is an investigation into the nature of time and may be seen as a composite work whose elements question mankind's place in the continuum of time. The artwall, composed of three sections, contains a total of nine elements, which refer to geological, historical, celestial and real time. These elements encourage a dialogue between the public and the piece, asking them to contemplate the various ways of looking at time as well as to examine the relationship between the city and time. Metronome is a unique, site-specific work whose elements not only interrelate with Union Square but also to all of Manhattan. Measuring 100 feet high and 60 feet wide, the central panel of Metronome is formed of a massive undulating brick wall entitled The Vortex. Composed of 52,000 bricks, utilizing three shapes of brick (curved, flat, angled soldier), The Vortex ripples out from the heart of the work - an enigmatic hole called The Infinity which measures five feet in diameter and is made of spun aluminum.

A plume of pure white ephemeral steam escapes throughout the day from this aperture. The vapor from the steam symbolizes the internal energy of the city and ultimately of the earth, reminiscent of the steam vents in the streets below as well as the natural fumaroles of geothermal formation. The Vortex undulates out from this void in a circular wave pattern, like the ripples that are created on the surface of a pond or pool of water after a stone is cast. The bricks that make up this element seem to defy gravity as they float across the surface of the piece. The Infinity is surrounded by gold leaf overlay, entitled The Source, which dissipates across The Vortex into gold fragments that diminish in frequency across the vertical plane. Created of 23.75 karat gold leaf over a total surface area of 1,500 square feet, The Source is an intermediate foil between the intangibility of the steam and the physicality of the brick. The gold suggests a gravitational field as well as an explosion releasing shards of energy. At the top of the center panel rests The Relic, the colossal hand of George Washington measuring six feet by three feet and weighing 900 pounds. Cast and then enlarged from the original Henry Kirche Brown equestrian statue situated below in Union Square Park, the hand is raised in a gesture of benediction over the city. Like many of the other elements of this work, The Relic makes a direct connection between Metronome and the city in which it is situated. Counterpoised to the ephemeral nature of the steam, a massive rock, The Matter, dynamically thrusts up through the façade of the undulating brick wall below, seeming to be an artifact from times past. The Matter is suggestive of geological time, the substance of planets and of the earth. Massive and peculiar, it is a reminder of the geology upon which our island was built - gray Manhattan schist and gneiss. Meanwhile, The Focus, a bronze cone measuring approximately 67 feet, draws the viewer's eye towards The Infinity - dramatizing the perspective from Park Avenue. Again, the theme of time comes into play since The Focus appears to sweep across the façade as if it were a second hand to a clock. Twice a day, signaling noon and midnight, a large burst of steam erupts from The Infinity while a melodious tone sounds.

To the left of the central rectilinear panel is The Passage, a digital timepiece composed of 76,800 light emitting diodes in 15 panels (each approximately five feet in height) behind a clear glass curtain wall. The numerals in The Passage, unlike the stability of the rock found in The Matter, attempt to grasp the present tense, indicating with atomic precision the time since midnight and counting down in hours, minutes, seconds until the midnight to come - the sum and balance of the day. For example, at precisely twelve noon, The Passage will read 120000000000012. The center three digits count fractions of seconds with the energy, the exhilaration and ultimate flux that is the essence of New York City. To the right of the central panel is a lunar timepiece, The Phases, which complete the scenario of Metronome. Symbolic of astronomical time, this lunar sphere is synchronized with the movement of the moon relative to the earth. The sphere, which is five feet in diameter, is composed of spun aluminum - half-coated in 23.75 karat gold and the remaining half coated in black enamel. This celestial element serves as a contrast to the instantaneous, dissolving steam as well as ballast to the rapidly dissolving electronic 24-hour day. Formally, The Passage, The Infinity and The Phases interrelate in that all three are approximately five feet in height, further unifying the artwall.

Contributors include: In a process piece on Metronome, art critic Patricia C. Phillips best summarizes the significance of Metronome: "The artists' eloquent syntax of structures and processes are the metronomic of a transformative public culture. Citing both enduring concepts and ephemeral encounters, geological and architectural forms, Metronome elicits connections between time and space, city and country, artifice and nature. Aptly sited in this vigorous metropolis, its rhythms of pasts and futures are insistently - if mysteriously - on time."

The team which created Metronome, Kristin Jones / Andrew Ginzel, has worked collaboratively since 1985. Their works are represented in museums, galleries and architectural spaces throughout the world. They have won numerous national and international awards and fellowships including the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, fellowships from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, the Fulbright Scholar Program for research in India and Italy, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Cité International des Arts residency in Paris. In addition to Metronome, current projects include Oculus for New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority at the World Trade Center / Park Place / Chambers Street stations and Enclycic for P.S. 102 in the Bronx for the Percent for Art Program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

"We are thankful for the opportunity to create a new work for New York exploring the enigma of time," commented Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel. Jones and Ginzel went on to explain that a project of the scale and complexity of Metronome was only realized through the exceptional contributions of many professionals. They noted, "The enormous commitment, confidence, knowledge and skill of these many individuals have often gone far beyond what was initially asked of them. We are indebted to their vision of what was possible."

The Related Grant Kafarosfski of Artex Systems in Ontario, Canada who actualized the undulating brick wall and the architect/engineer team of Harold Fredenburgh and Richard Donald, both of New York City, who monitored the complex engineering and interface. Edmund Campion, composer in residence at the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies at the University of California at Berkeley, and John Meyer of Meyer Sound Laboratories worked together to formulate the sound and technology for Metronome that evoke the mystery and joy of the piece. Vivienne Jolles and John Rodgers of Marina Del Ray engineered and implemented the steam. The artist brothers Philip and Donald DiGiacomo of Azusa, California, created the mammoth schist bedrock of The Matter. The bronze elements of Metronome including the 67-foot Focus and lunar timepiece The Phases were the product of Herbert Koenig and John Eppich of Allied Bronze in Long Island City, New York. Two engineers at Cosentini Associates contributed to the artwall with Harry Speilberg heading the coordination of the building systems and Stephen Margulies determining the lighting concept and implementation.

Public Art Fund Inc., which organized the artists' competition, is a non-profit arts organization that presents the work of contemporary artists in New York's public spaces, providing alternative venues in which to create and view art. Public Art Fund, over the past twenty years, has provided artists with the opportunity to create innovative art works in the urban landscape, forging lasting relationships between artists and communities, enriching public spaces and improving the quality of public life in New York City. By bringing new artworks into the public realm, Public Art Fund provides a unique forum and support structure for artists to realize their artistic vision, while simultaneously increasing public access to contemporary art.

Companies, which commissioned Metronome, owns and manages residential, retail and commercial properties worth more than $7 billion in 40 states. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently awarded The Related Companies the Coliseum site on Columbus Circle. In addition to One Union Square South, current developments include luxury rental towers on the Upper East and Upper West sides and Battery Park City North. The Related Companies has also commenced construction on The Chatham, a new luxury condominium development located on East 65th Street at Third Avenue and will begin the rehabilitation of the historic Guardian Life Building at 50 Union Square located on East 17th Street. Stephen M. Ross and his colleague David J. Wine spearheaded the commission of Metronome.

Stephenhen Ross, Chairman of The Related Companies and David Wine, President of Related Development Company, flank the artists.

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