MATERIAL MATTERS: Symbiosis and Stainless Steel

Location: 2420 Greent Street, near Pennsylvania Avenue

5 PM

Get a close-up look at Roxy Paine’s Symbiosis sculpture, which is undergoing a once-in-a-decade resurfacing conservation treatment to preserve its signature sheen.

Association for Public Art (aPA) consulting sculpture conservator Adam Jenkins and Deputy Director Laura Griffith will be on-site to discuss the treatment and materials preservation process.

This rare behind-the-scenes opportunity offers insights into the techniques, tools, and decision-making involved in maintaining a monumental stainless steel artwork.

This event is part of our Material Matters series, highlighting aPA’s pioneering Conservation Program.

Support for this work is provided by Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation. With appreciation to our hotel partner, The Windsor Suites.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK: Part of Roxy Paine’s acclaimed “Dendroid” series, Symbiosis is a monumental sculpture weighing over 3.5 tons at just over 34′ tall. It features thousands of hand-fabricated welded pieces of stainless-steel pipe, plates, and rods. From the Greek “dendron” (tree) and the suffix “oid” (form), the sculpture’s tree-like structure plays with the tension between humans and the natural world—a common theme in Paine’s work. Using repurposed industrial steel piping commonly used for oil pipelines and manufacturing, Paine bent and welded a network of branches which were then buffed into a bright silver polish. Created in 2011, Symbiosis was originally installed on the Parkway as a temporary installation, then was acquired in 2015 by the Association for Public Art through a generous gift from Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation.