Molecule Man, Berlin

Molecule Man is a monumental sculpture set into the Spree: three giant figures rise about 30 metres from the water and lean together until they meet. American sculptor Jonathan Borofsky made the figures from perforated aluminium plates. He explains the openings as molecules, representing people joining to create human existence.

The design dates from 1997, and the work entered the river in 1999. Its setting carries another layer of meaning: this was once a meeting point of three former boroughs, and the river marked the boundary between East and West Berlin. Together, the figures weigh about 45 tonnes, while the aluminium cost roughly 600,000 dollars.

Look at the open surfaces and the powerful gesture of the forms converging. The work belongs to a wider series that also includes related sculptures in Los Angeles, Iowa and England.