Big Bambú by Day

The Big Bambú is an interactive installation at the Israel Museum. Twin brothers Mike and Doug Starn have created Big Bambú installations in New York, Venice, and now Jerusalem. If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s still some time, because it has been extended to the end of October. Admission, in addition to the general admission to the Israel Museum, is 10 NIS for adults and 5 NIS for children (museum members get in free). You need to book in advance because the numbers are limited. Make sure you read the rules before you go, because you can’t wear flip-flops, clogs, or high heels (sandals seem to be OK). Full photo set on Flickr.

It’s the size of a small apartment block, with many different levels. I think the best time to see it is around dusk, so that you can see the sunset and changing lights. At night, the Big Bambú is lit. According to the Israel Museum site, this installation took:

10,000 bamboo poles, 80,000 meters of climbing rope, 25 rock climbers, 7 weeks, 350 hours, and not a single architectural sketch. American artists Mike and Doug Starn were invited to use the Museum’s Art Garden to create Big Bambú – a 17-meter high installation built entirely of bamboo. The artists chose to name their Jerusalem installation 5,000 Arms to Hold You.

View of the top level, from below. People are sitting on couches.

The larger levels have comfortable areas for sitting and enjoying the view.