Timur Si-Qin Sacred Footprint, 2021–22 Stainless steel, aluminum, acrylic paint 53' (L) x 33' (W) x 22' (D), 2 ton, suspended on 8 points. Permanent installation commissioned for Meta's NYC Farley Building Role: Curator & Producer, Meta Open Arts. Timur Si-Qin is a New York-based artist of German and Mongolian Chinese descent, who grew up in Berlin, Beijing, and a Native American community in the American Southwest. A key figure in the post-internet generation, Si-Qin utilizes technologies such as 3D scanning, game engines, VR, and AR to create artworks that aim to awaken our cognitive, emotional and spiritual connections with the natural world. This sculpture is inspired by the ancient concept of the Tree of Life, a cross-cultural symbol of the interconnectedness of all things on this biodiverse planet. Si-Qin 3D-scanned various tree species in the Catskills and Adirondacks, then digitally composed the scans using software such as Metashape, 3ds Max, GrowFX, ZBrush, Rhinoceros and Substance 3D Painter. The 3D digital sculpture was viewed in a VR headset during its development, which was accompanied by rigorous gravity simulation and engineering. It was then rendered physically through 3D printing, mold making, metal casting, and painting. The double-helix structure links different tree species in the sculpture, alluding to the DNA molecules shared by all living organisms. This project received the Engineer’s Choice Award at the 2023 SEAoNY Structural Engineering Excellence Awards. Production Manager: Dan Davis Artist Studio Project Director: David Tasman Structural Engineer: Paul Laroque (Silman Structural Solutions)