In October, Yerba Buena Gardens will become a life-size canvas for Saype, the Franco-Swiss artist known for his monumental, ephemeral frescoes created directly within the landscape.
From October 5 to 7, 2026, he will live-paint a new work from his international project Beyond Walls, depicting two giant intertwined hands as a symbol of solidarity and human connection. This will mark the first West Coast creation by Saype.
Painted directly on the Great Lawn using biodegradable pigments made primarily from chalk and charcoal, the artwork will gradually disappear without leaving a lasting trace.
Launched on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris, in front of the Eiffel Tower, Beyond Walls has already traveled to more than 20 locations around the world, including Venice, Cape Town and Tokyo.
In San Francisco, the project will take on a participatory dimension: on Wednesday, October 7 at 4:30 p.m., nearly 1,000 people will be invited to form a large human chain around the completed fresco.
“Our project aims to create the longest symbolic human chain around the world, promoting values of togetherness, kindness and openness,” says Saype.
A spectacular and ephemeral work to discover in the heart of San Francisco, just steps from SFMOMA and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, presented in collaboration with Villa Albertine San Francisco.
Beyond Walls – Saype at Yerba Buena Gardens
Address: Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
Live painting: October 5–7, 2026
🤝 Human chain: October 7 at 4:30 p.m.
View this profile on Instagram
