Standing over six metres tall and weighing approximately 400 kg, Marinella Senatore’s I Contain Multitudes required an engineering and fabrication process capable of translating an intricate artistic composition into a monumental light sculpture for Chicago’s Millennium Park.
Studio Light Mariano developed the structural and technical solutions behind the artwork, from its internal framework and illuminated components to the connections, full-scale pre-assembly and installation strategy.
An Artistic Form, Multiple Technical Challenges
At this scale, engineering goes beyond defining the external form. The sculpture required an internal supporting structure, carefully designed connections between individual components, and an assembly sequence that would allow the artwork to be transported and reconstructed on site.
Each technical decision had to respect the original artistic composition. Structural elements needed to provide stability without compromising the sculpture’s proportions, while the connections and lighting components had to be integrated into a complex arrangement of decorative forms.
The engineering process therefore involved developing the structure, fabrication details and assembly methods as interconnected parts of the same project.
Concept, technical drawings and structural development
Integrating Structure, Geometry and Light
One of the most complex elements of the sculpture is the Sun, approximately 2.9 metres in diameter.
Its double-sided construction incorporates 48 illuminated rods in three different lengths, each positioned and oriented according to the artistic composition.
Developing this element required coordinating the internal supporting structure with the geometry and arrangement of the illuminated components. The connections, fixing points and assembly sequence were designed to maintain the intended proportions and ensure accurate positioning during fabrication and installation.
The result is a complex three-dimensional arrangement in which structure and lighting are integrated into the overall design.
Materials, geometry and lighting must be integrated from the very beginning.
The Importance of Full-Scale Testing
Before shipment to Chicago, the sculpture underwent a full-scale trial assembly at the Studio Light Mariano workshop.
This stage made it possible to evaluate the artwork at its actual dimensions, verify proportions and visual balance, assess the lighting effect and test the connections between components.
It also provided an opportunity to check the assembly sequence and identify any adjustments before the sculpture was dismantled, packed and prepared for transport.
For an artwork of this size and complexity, full-scale pre-assembly was an essential step in connecting the engineering and fabrication process with the requirements of the final installation.
Full-scale pre-assembly at the Studio Light Mariano workshop
Engineering for Transport and Installation
A monumental sculpture intended for an international public installation must be designed not only for its final appearance, but also for the practical stages required to reach that result.
For I Contain Multitudes, this meant developing a modular construction that could be assembled in the workshop, separated into transportable components and reassembled in Chicago.
The identification of individual elements, their connections and the sequence of operations formed part of the technical development, helping maintain consistency between the original design, workshop fabrication and on-site assembly.
These details are largely invisible in the completed artwork, but they are fundamental to its successful realisation.
From the Workshop to Millennium Park
The completed sculpture brings together Marinella Senatore’s artistic vision and the engineering, fabrication and technical expertise developed by Studio Light Mariano.
From the internal structure and individually positioned illuminated elements to the full-scale testing and modular assembly system, each stage contributed to translating the original composition into a monumental light sculpture for public space.
I Contain Multitudes demonstrates how technical development and specialised fabrication can support ambitious contemporary artworks while preserving the identity and visual language of the artist’s original concept.
Artwork: I Contain Multitudes
Artist: Marinella Senatore
Engineering and fabrication: Studio Light Mariano
Location: Millennium Park, Chicago, USA
Explore the project and view photographs of the completed artwork: