Anish Kapoor's High Note

When I first came across this image of Anish Kapoor's Olympic Orbit through the coolhunter.net's twitter feed, I wasn't sure what to make of it. My first reaction was one of incomprehension. It just didn't make sense to me, as it looked more like a twisting rollercoaster rather than a monument. Kapoor's work has always had a playful bent, but this seemed to be taking it a bit far. The more I thought about it, though, the more sense it made.

While it doesn't fit the traditional style or structure of famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, this is precisely what makes it a truly contemporary expression of our times. Unlike the Eiffel Tower, which reaches for the heavens with grandiosity, this sculpture looks inwards, creating an endlessly twisting loop, much like the communication loop of our increasingly connected world.

As science and technology continue to play an ever more prominent role in our lives, I think we as a people are looking for answers to problems within our own communities, rather than upwards to the heavens or the higher ups. Our global communal lives are becoming more inter-connected nowadays, thanks to communication tools such as twitter, facebook and meetup. Also, the 24 hour news cycle constantly reminds us of the failings of government and corporate entities.

This has led to a more realistic perspective about what it takes to create change in the world, and at the same time we are more empowered by technology to create this change. Through the growing arsenal of new media tools and websites, our voices are becoming connected in an influential way, coming together in a chorus of opinions and expressions. So it's no surprise that this sculpture looks very much like the musical treble note.

It is fitting that this sculpture will be unveiled during the London 2012 Olympics, an event that represents the world coming together in unity, unlike any other time. Anish Kapoor's playful and powerful statement on modern society intertwines with the hopes of the Olympics: creating a harmonious world here on earth. It's kind of a beautiful, convoluted thing.