The Broken Kilometer, 1979, located at 393 West Broadway in New York City, is composed of 500 highly polished, round, solid brass rods, each measuring two meters in length and five centimeters (two inches) in diameter. The 500 rods are placed in five parallel rows of 100 rods each. The sculpture weighs 18 3/4 tons and would measure 3,280 feet if all the elements were laid end-to-end. Each rod is placed such that the spaces between the rods increase by 5mm with each consecutive space, from front to back; the first two rods of each row are placed 80mm apart, the last two rods are placed 570 mm apart. Metal halide stadium lights illuminate the work which is 45 feet wide and 125 feet long.

This work is the companion piece to De Maria's 1977 Vertical Earth Kilometer at Kassel, Germany. In that permanently installed earth sculpture, a brass rod of the same diameter, total weight and total length has been inserted 1,000 meters into the ground.

The Broken Kilometer has been on long-term view to the public since 1979. This work was commissioned and is maintained by Dia Art Foundation.

Art: The Broken Kilometer, 1979

The Broken Kilometer is temporarily closed. For more information, click here. 

The Broken Kilometer is located at 393 West Broadway in New York City. 

Hours
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–6 pm (closed from 3–3:30 pm)

Also closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Admission
Admission is free

Photography is not permitted.

Walter De Maria was born in Albany, California, in 1935. He died in Los Angeles in 2013.

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