(Updated on Feb. 26th) The Golden Gate Park shines for the darkest months of the Winter with Entwined, an art installation that transforms the Peacock Meadow into an enchanted forest of ever-changing lights. This is the last act of celebration of the Golden Gate Park 150th Anniversary.
“Entwined” by San Francisco artist Charles Gadeken will run from Dec. 10 through Feb. 28 April 4th in the Peacock Meadow, next to the Conservatory of Flowers on J.F.K Drive.
The Entwined installation creates a whimsical wonderland where visitors can explore paths and sit under a grove of three entwined sculptural trees while practicing social distancing. The trees range from 12 to 20 feet tall with illuminated canopies as large as 30 feet, filling the meadow with changing light. Sculptures comprised of 2,000 LED lights cluster into small flowering bushes at varying heights, further filling the green space with peaks and valleys of radiating light. The variety of lighting effects are inspired by nature and build a sense of awe: raindrops on the pavement, lighting and thunderstorms, wind blowing tall grass and flowers, and ripples on a pond.
“Entwined is an immersive light experience for Golden Gate Park visitors to explore, engage with, and enjoy. What does the ‘tree of life’ look like in the world, post-nature? The installation is my latest exploration of this question, blending timeless natural objects with abstract forms and modern technology to evoke wonder, magic, and joy” Gadeken said.
Charles Gadeken is an industrial artist working in the Bay Area for over 25 years. His monumental interactive public artworks reimagine the world “post-nature” and include commissions from Burning Man, Insomniac Events, Coachella, the Cities of Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Reno.
It’s worth mentioning that this very unique temporary installation is part of a larger project called Illuminate SF Festival of Light. In its 8th year, this festival runs from Thanksgiving through the end of January and includes more than 40 light installations across the city. The map is here and features the permanent and the temporary art pieces. Among them, the Seeing Spheres behind the Chase center, the W.F.T on Billy Graham Auditorium, and the Bucky Wall by Leo Villareal at the Exploratorium.
Entwined and all those lights pieces are perfect excuses to get out of the house at dusk.
