"After Magritte," 2007
by Devorah Sperber

A Site-Specific Installation for the "Independence of the Seas" Cruise Ship
Commissioned by Royal Caribbean International

Medium: *17,760 spools of thread, stainless-steel cable
Dimensions: 11.75' H x 15.25' W (thread only)
"After Magritte" by Devorah Sperber, constructed from 17,760 spools of thread, commissioned by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, Ship: The Independence, 2007
Studio view: "After Magritte," *17,760 spools of thread (11.75' Hx 15.25' W)
"After Magritte" by Devorah Sperber, constructed from 17,760 spools of thread, commissioned by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, Ship: The Independence, 2007
Mid-range view: *each spool 1 1/4" H
"After Magritte" by Devorah Sperber, constructed from 17,760 spools of thread, commissioned by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, Ship: The Independence, 2007
Detail view
"After Magritte" by Devorah Sperber, constructed from 17,760 spools of thread, commissioned by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, Ship: The Independence, 2007"After Magritte" by Devorah Sperber, constructed from 17,760 spools of thread, commissioned by Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, Ship: The Independence, 2007

(left) Digital rendering of "After Magritte" installed in the aft atrium of "Independence of the Seas" cruise ship with wall behind the thread spool installation painted two shades of blue alluding to the actual ocean and sky visible through the windows directly above the installation.

(right) Digital rendering of the installation seen through reversed monoculars mounted on the four decks.
Artist Statement
“After Magritte” is based on René Magritte’s Les Valeurs personnelles (Personal Values) from 1952. My intention was to engage the “casual” viewer by making some elements visible when viewed directly from four glass enclosed elevators and the surrounding decks. The wine glass and clouds will be recognizable without a viewing device while other objects in the composition will only appear as vague shapes. I hope people's curiosity will be piqued so that they try to figure out what the other objects in the composition might be. Because the original Magritte painting contains a surprising mix of items at various scales, the complete image will only be visible when seen through reversed monoculars mounted on four surrounding decks. This experiential process was a driving force in my selection of this particular painting for this site. -Devorah Sperber
PRESS RELEASE (About the Ship)
Royal Caribbean Floats Out "Independence Of The Seas "
Independence to Share Title of World's Largest with Sister-Ships

MIAMI, September 14, 2007 - In less than a year, Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas will make her debut in Southampton, England where she will be the largest ship ever to be home-ported in Europe. With her hull now complete, Independence of the Seas, under construction at Aker Yards in Turku, Finland, reached an important maritime milestone today when she was "floated out" - moved from dry dock to wet dock - for the final months of finishing work leading up to her May 2008 debut.

Independence of the Seas will share the title of worlds largest cruise ship with her sister-ships, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, weighing in at 160,000 GRT and holding 3,634 guests, double-occupancy. In addition to new programs and onboard embellishments yet to be announced, amenities on Independence will include the popular innovations already found on her sister-ships, including the FlowRider surf simulator; the wet and wild H20 Zone aqua park; cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 feet above the ocean; an ice-skating rink; a boxing ring; and the 1,215-square-foot Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps up to 14.

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 21 ships currently in service and three under construction. The line also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and New Zealand through its cruisetour division.

* partial funding by Coats and Clark

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                          		                                                                                                                               © Devorah Sperber Inc. 2000