New Glass Labyrinth is the Ultimate Disorienting Experience

By Alice Yoo on May 26, 2014

On May 22, at Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's sculpture park in Kansas City, artist Robert Morris unveiled Glass Labyrinth, a huge installation that will might just have you walking into walls. Fully transparent, the clear structure is made up of 1-inch thick glass. It's 62-foot by 62-foot by 62-foot, 7-foot tall and weighs almost 1 million pounds (968,902 lbs, to be exact). Due to it's weight and giant size, it took an entire team of people, including engineers and construction workers, two months to completely install it.

Here's the museum's description: “In form and material this labyrinth is a departure from the more familiar circular and rectangular labyrinths of old. Triangulated and constructed of glass plate walls capped with bronze, it speaks to the present in the language of modern architecture and design–streamlined, dynamic, transparent, and elegant.”

Morris was commissioned to create the permanent installation at the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park, which is a part of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, to celebrate the sculpture park's 25th anniversary. Its opening marks the beginning of the park's six-month long celebration.

Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one way in and the same way out. This, of course, still doesn't take away from the fact that it's one disorienting experience. As Kyle (shell_tone) on Instagram wrote, “Thing had me running into corners.” Jessica Beever stated, “Very cool! Although it made me a little dizzy walking through; a strange combo for the senses!” While Jesika Voelzke- Doty (creatinganew) wrote to her friend, “I'm so scared of going into that thing!!! I actually had a nightmare about it. Going in and seeing the outside and not getting out…or baking in it!!!” To which her friend, leesahjh replied, “There's an employee stationed outside just in case someone freaks out. Also, there's only one path. I enjoyed it, but I don't have any claustrophobia.”

Photo: Nelson-Atkins Museum