OUT OF MANY, ONE

LOCATION: Washington, DC

This six-acre portrait on the National Mall in Washington DC was commissioned by The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The piece was created out of 2,000 tonnes of sand, 800 tonnes of soil and 8 miles of string. It was large enough to be viewed from space when taking an image of the United States capital.

A composite portrait of anonymous young men from different ethnic backgrounds that Gerada met and photographed while walking on the National Mall. Visitors experienced the artwork from the top of the Washington Monument, and while flying into and out of Washington, DC. The installation began in early September and was inaugurated on October 1, 2014. Since “Out of Many, One” is made purely of organic materials, it was tilled back into the soil at the end of October fulfilling the artist’s prerequisite that his work have no negative environmental impact.