Bay Bridge World's Largest Light Sculpture

The artist, Leo Villareal perfecting the lighting design on a Mac (Photo: Lucas Saugen)

Artist Leo Villareal's latest masterpiece is spectacular. No longer the ugly duckling it shimmers with more lights than the Eiffel Tower at its brightest. Finally the Bay Bridge's utilitarian strength is no longer over shadowed by its sister's Golden Beauty.  It finally has the respect and admiration it deserves.

The Bay Lights, is the world's largest light sculpture and an impressive feat of digital design. The shimmering display is made up of 25,000 LED lights. Use of a 1.8 mile long fiber optic cable allows each light to be turned on/off at a rate of 60 times per second, allowing for the unique and ever-changing patterns to glide across the bridge. Every LED is individually controlled by a group of Mac Minis, each running the same program created by Villareal which ensures no pattern will ever repeat itself in the two years the light show is slated to run.

Villareal's vision has brought new life to a Bay Area landmark. The bridge is now a monumental public art display. Infrastructure becomes art. As the artist said, "It is a work of public art, funded without taxpayer dollars, a "gift of light."