Digital rendering of Doug and Mike Starn’s “Big Bambú,” a site-specific sculpture made of 3,200 interlocking bamboo poles lashed together with nylon rope. (image: NYT)

This summer The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will turn over its rooftop to 20x200 edition-makers Mike and Doug Starn, who will be lashing together a 50-foot-high installation called Big Bambú. Visitors will be allowed to climb through the organically formed network of bamboo poles on guided tours led by the museum.

The Starns have been working on Big Bambú with a team of 15 rock climbers since 2008, building and evolving the structure in their Beacon, NY warehouse.

They write:

At its pinnacle, the continually evolving architecture being built from within (no outside scaffolding or support) will cantilever out as far as the bamboo poles network allows, and then will bridge down to the floor. At this point the first tower will be dismantled pole by pole and carried through the structure and down to create another monumental tower and then on again, walking down the 320 feet space, almost like a Slinky and then back again. Big Bambú will evolve through the continuous rebuilding and rethinking of the structure at all times.

The performative aspect of Big Bambú's never ending construction process is why this artwork defies categorization, falling somewhere between sculpture, architecture and performance. More details on the construction and installation of the piece can be found in this New York Times article.

Big Bambú is just one piece in a stellar history of work by the Starn Twins. They've also created an award-winning subway installation in New York, completed countless print and book projects and more ephemeral installations.

They've also released four art and photography editions with 20x200. In fact, celebrity stylist Robert Verdi recently told New York Magazine that he has a Starn print hanging above his bed. Historically, our Starn editions have sold out instantly, but select prints from their newer editions are available below.

Congratulations to the Starns and to The Met on this amazing partnership. We'll see you up top this summer!

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