The monument is the result of a three-year creative journey that began when internationally lauded artist Michael Kalish was approached by Lonnie and Muhammad Ali to create a private original sculpture for them from Kalish's signature license plate art collection.
This experience provided the inspiration for Kalish to undertake the epic task of creating reALIze. The monument is larger than life, as is Ali's legacy: an appropriate testament to the essence of the legend the world has come to know, simply, as "The Greatest."
The breath-taking effect is an enormous, 360-degree, two-story structure composed of five miles of stainless steel, two miles of aluminum tubing, and 1300 boxing speed bags. Viewed from nearly every angle, the result appears to be a massive, boxing-inspired rainstorm -- but find the exact right position, and it unexpectedly becomes a 2-D vision of the timeless face of Muhammad Ali.
Conceptualized by Kalish and designed by Kalish and architectural firm Oyler Wu Collaborative, reALIze is the ultimate tribute to the iconic boxing legend.
The unveiling of reALIze is scheduled for March 25, 2011 at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA. More info on RealizeAli.com.