hou de sousa suspends 1,000 neon triangles over beacon park in detroit

new york-based studio hou de sousa celebrates collective perseverance with a light installation in detroit, michigan, called ‘bounce’. suspended over beacon park in the downtown area of the city, the public artwork is composed of over 1,000 neon triangles that unify to create a large canopy of light. the piece signifies the many individual components that need to come together to make positive change.

looking up into the detroit night sky

images courtesy of hou de sousa

when viewed from afar, bounce appears like a giant arrow of light, but once passersby get closer, they’ll be able to appreciate all the different colored triangles that make up the installation. with this aspect of the artwork, hou de sousa speaks of the complexity and nuance of human experience concealed within the oversimplification of data.

glowing polygons sway in the breeze

during the day, the triangular frames sway like leaves in the passing wind, casting a shimmer of slender shadows. as the sun sets, the project transforms beneath the glow of ultraviolet lights, into a surreal beacon and iridescent burst of color.

turbulent gust

the project primarily consists of parachute cord filled with piano wire, which combines to create an array of unique polygons that differ in colors, sizes, and shapes. these triangular frames hook onto the links of a catenary chain structure which in turn acts as a flexible scaffold and allows the project to be reconfigured and reshaped on a seasonal basis. bounce is on view to the public in detroit’s beacon park until september 13, 2021, and is scheduled to return during the summer of 2022.

beneath the neon canopy

mock-up photo showing typical triangular frames — three individual piano wires are held in place and encased by iridescent paracord

axonometric sketches showing a variety of potential configurations

project info:

name: bounce

location: beacon park, detroit, michigan, US

design: hou de sousa

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom