An outdated compact disc is transformed into a towering, sparkling sculpture.

Artist Tara Donovan presents her work at the San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art (ICA SF) trickis a mesmerizing installation that reimagines a once familiar technology as an immersive one. Comprised of thousands of stacked compact discs (CDs), the work emerges as a luminescent formation that shimmers, refracts, and continuously changes as the viewer explores the space. What begins as a recognizable material quickly transforms into an optical experience that is both architectural and atmospheric.

Known for his ability to elevate everyday materials into large-scale environments, Donovan continues his long-standing research into the perception, accumulation, and hidden potential of mundane objects. in trickshe invites viewers to reconsider not only the physical properties of CDs, but also the ephemeral nature of the technology that shapes modern life.

Throughout his career, Donovan has developed a unique visual language rooted in repetition and variation. Using mass-produced materials such as plastic cups, pins, straws, and index cards, she constructs installations that blur the line between sculpture and the environment. Despite being constructed entirely from industrial components, her works often evoke natural phenomena such as cloud formation, geological growth, and landscape change.

and trickDonovan focuses on the compact disc, which once represented cutting-edge innovation but has since become obsolete. Rather than presenting them as nostalgic artifacts, she activates their latent visual complexity and reflective nature, allowing them to function as both medium and subject.

“We live in a time where we feel increasingly defined by cycles of ingenuity and obsolescence,” Donovan tells My Modern Met. “In my lifetime, the archive of human experience has moved from paper to the ‘cloud.’ Her choice of materials becomes a meditation on the transformation of time, memory, and technology. Once a receptacle for storing information, the CD now exists as a physical remnant of a rapidly evolving digital environment.

Inside ICA SF’s glass annex, Donovan’s sculptures rise in dense vertical formations that echo the silhouette of the city’s skyline. From a distance, these structures appear solid, monolithic, and their surfaces appear as continuous planes of shimmering color. But as the viewer approaches, the illusion begins to dissolve. The stacked disks appear as complex layers, each capturing and bending light into a changing spectrum that ripples across its surface.

As light interacts with the materials, the experience of the work becomes increasingly immersive. Reflections are scattered throughout the gallery, creating subtle color changes that respond to both the viewer’s movement and the changing conditions of the space. What initially appears static becomes fluid and unstable, inviting prolonged observation and careful attention.

“As a relic of the very recent past, its rapid erasure from material culture illustrates the chaotic speed of technological progress,” the artist points out.

The architectural context of an installation plays an important role in shaping its visual impact. Located within Transamerica Pyramid Center’s transparent gallery space, the sculpture is constantly brought to life by natural light that changes throughout the day. Sunlight passes through the glass, enhancing the CD’s reflective properties and creating a layered pattern of light and shadow throughout the room.

“This means infinite vertical expansion,” Donovan says. “Having this iconic architecture as a visual corollary brings the city itself into the experience of the work.”

The towering shape of the CD suggests the upward thrust of a skyscraper, but resists the functional constraints of architecture. Instead of serving a practical purpose, they explore the expressive possibilities of the structure itself. “As an artist, you don’t have to follow the rules of architecture,” Donovan explains. “Rather than focusing on use, function, and manipulation, I am giving myself the freedom to unleash the potential of the structure for purely aesthetic and experiential purposes.”

Despite their industrial origins and precise construction, Donovan’s sculptures have an undeniably organic quality. The tension between controlled repetition and emergent form is at the heart of her practice. Each task begins with a simple set of rules and is executed through continuous and methodical work. Over time, these repetitions accumulate into complex structures that appear to grow and evolve. “Biological structures develop in a similar way,” Donovan explains. “My work may appear ‘organic’ or ‘vivid’ because my process mimics the basic growth systems found in nature.”

The visual experience is further complicated by the interaction of light within layered surfaces. Shadows settle in the narrow spaces between the discs, and reflected light creates a changing interplay of depth and transparency. “The viewer experiences a constant shift between foreground and background, resulting in a change in perception that is visually perceived as a form of vibration,” she says.

title trick Provides insight into the conceptual framework underlying the installation. “A ruse is a clever plan intended to confuse and sometimes deceive the perception of reality,” Donovan explains, all of which resonate with the experience of the work itself.

This concept of perceptual instability is central to the installation. Surfaces that appear to be solid begin to dissolve upon closer inspection. Even forms that appear fixed can change dynamically through the intervention of light and movement. Through the accumulation of simple elements, Donovan creates an environment that forces the viewer to question the authenticity of his vision. By exploiting the overlooked qualities of discarded materials, she creates spaces that are meditative, immersive, and in constant visual flux.

trick This work by Tara Donovan transforms thousands of old CDs into a towering, light-changing sculpture, a luminescent installation that immerses viewers in an ever-changing visual experience.

Donovan is known for transforming everyday materials into large-scale environments that explore perception, repetition, and the hidden potential of ordinary objects.

This exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art reflects the obsolescence of technology, using light, reflection, and accumulation to create structures that feel architectural and organic.

Exhibition information:
Tara Donovan
trick
January 17th – July 31st, 2026
San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art
600 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

Tara Donovan: Website

My Modern Met has granted permission to publish the photo from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

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