The newest tree in Hayes Valley's Patricia Green isn't exactly what you would expect. SQUARED, a LED sculpture from notable Bay Area artist Charles Gadeken, will be installed in the parklet on May 5th.
The sculpture has a fun history: it's been shown at Coachella Music Festival and Burning Man. The 50-foot tree is made up of 768 polyurethane apple-cubes that change colors thanks to the built-in adjustable LEDs.
“It represents a futuristic interpretation of nature thanks to the use of technology and all the materials we have available now, where all the fruits are replaced with plastic cubes that will light up in an array of colors and patterns. I like to call it a post-nature, post-human sculpture,” says Gadeken. “I wanted to create a sculpture that was beautiful and, at the same time, was able to inspire people to think about the complexity and the unlimited possibilities that the future will hold for us," he added.
Photograph: Courtesy Charles Gadeken
During Saturday's opening, Gadeken will perform with a group of musicians and the sculpture will change colors in tune to the sounds. Check it out at Patricia Green’s on May 5th from 6–9pm.