Long Wave

This large-scale helical sculpture explores motion, perspective, and repetition through a simple, continuous form. The title refers not only to the sine-like geometry of the structure, but also to broader cycles—of time, energy, and perception—that unfold slowly and steadily across space.

Installed at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, Long Wave spans nearly 200 feet in length and stands over 20 feet tall, creating a presence that meets the vast scale of its surroundings. From different vantage points, the form shifts: viewed head-on, it compresses into a nested spiral; from the side, it reads as a rising and falling sine wave. The geometry invites movement around and through it, offering a sequence of changing perspectives and a sense of fluid motion suspended in space.

At night, light pulses along the spiral path in programmed rhythms, suggesting orbit, momentum, and passage. The result is a form that feels elemental and in motion—rooted in geometry, animated by light, and shaped by its environment.

The sculpture was designed and created by Pneuhaus, an art and design studio specializing in inflatable architecture and immersive public art.  It was fabricated in their Rhode Island-based studio and built from modular segments, each designed to match the width of standard fabric rolls. These units are heat-welded into airtight chambers, making the structure efficient, lightweight, and scalable. Lighting and animations were created in collaboration with Smooth Technology, a Brooklyn and Providence – based studio known for integrating responsive lighting systems and technology into public artworks and performances.