Skynet Art Series
Patrick Shearn’s signature aerial sculptures, animated by wind and color play
The Skynet Art Series is a body of site-specific floating kinetic sculptures by artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics. Made from thousands of ultra-lightweight, shimmering elements held in a fine monofilament net, each Skynet artwork is rigged to harness the wind — revealing the unseen air currents of its location in a slow, mesmerizing dance. Shearn's Skynet Art Series is inspired by the graceful murmuration of birds and the way schools of fish coalesce and move as one — a constant reminder of nature moving around us. Each site-specific installation reveals the unseen wind elements unique to its location, offering a peaceful, immersive experience to everyone who encounters it.
Built from thousands of points of movement.
Skynet works range from intimate to monumental — the largest pieces are strung across tens of thousands of feet of fine monofilament net and dance on tens of thousands of individual streamers. They have flown over downtowns, festivals, museums, and botanical gardens around the world — from Liquid Shard in Los Angeles to Visions in Motion at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and across the Korean DMZ.
Awards & Recognition
Patrick Shearn’s Skynet Series has been recognized by CODA Worx, the Anthem Awards, Americans for the Arts Public Art Network, and the Black Rock Arts Foundation.
Skynet works
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Frequently asked
- A Skynet installation is a floating, site-specific kinetic sculpture by artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, made from thousands of ultra-lightweight, shimmering elements held in a fine monofilament net. Rather than using motors, it's rigged to harness the wind — so the artwork moves on its own, revealing the invisible air currents of its location.
- Skynet sculptures are intentionally built from ultra-lightweight materials and rigged on a nearly invisible net so that natural wind alone animates them. There are no motors — the movement you see is the wind made visible.
- Yes. Skynet works are site-specific and have been created for downtowns, festivals, museums, and botanical gardens worldwide. Share your site and goals to start a commission.
- Each site is evaluated for span, attachment or support points, prevailing wind, public circulation, access, and local engineering requirements. Skynet works can be configured for streets, plazas, gardens, courtyards, waterfronts, and festival grounds when the site provides a safe rigging strategy.
- Yes, depending on the design, materials, climate, and maintenance plan. We create both temporary and longer-duration installations and engineer each commission around its exposure, seasonal conditions, operational needs, and intended lifespan.
Commission a Skynet work.
Share your site, season, and vision. We’ll develop an aerial artwork shaped by the architecture, wind, light, and movement around it.
Start a commission