23-Foot Muhammad Ali Coming To Downtown Los Angeles

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" In just a few weeks Angelenos will be able to channel the spirit of a champion of the ring and get some inspiration from 'The Greatest' when they hit downtown Los Angeles.

After almost a year of work, L.A.-based artist Michael Kalish is ready to debut his installation of boxing legend Muhammad Ali at Nokia Plaza. Kalish is known for his innovative sculptures, but this time he's truly outdone himself. The new installation is made up of thousands of speed bags (he estimates 1300) arranged to form Ali's face.

So how did it take nearly a year to hang speed bags up in the shape of Ali's handsome mug? This is not your run-of-the-mill piece; the installation is 23 feet high and 26 feet wide and consists of 5 miles of stainless steel cables. Hey, you have to go big to pay tribute the king of the ring! Downtown already has an amazing art scene, and Kalish's "reALIze" installation will be a great addition. The artist thought about presenting his piece in New York, but chose to stay loyal to his beloved home turf and unveil it downtown on March 25th. The fresh installation will be traveling on to other cities, so check it out while you can, you'll probably leave feeling a little more badass than you did before, thanks to The Champ.

[photo via]