Eine Kugel voller bewegter Formen

A Sphere Filled with Moving Shapes

This sculpture is called The Celestial Sphere Woodrow Wilson Memorial. From far away, it looks like a large metal globe. Up close, the center is much more surprising. It is packed with many shapes: birds, sea animals, people, and long twisting forms. Some parts are gold. Other parts are brown, gray, or blue-green. The forms overlap, so the sphere seems busy and full of movement. Two dark circular bands surround it. One band crosses the middle, and another makes a wide circle around the outside. Thin metal parts connect the bands and support the crowded center. The sculpture stands on a short base. The words “WOODROW WILSON” are visible on the front. In the image, a pale building rises behind the artwork. Green grass and dark trees frame the scene. Look carefully: what shape do you notice first? Does the sculpture look calm, or does it seem to move? Its unusual feature is its full, lively center.