Pulse Portal

-ON DISPLAY NOW-

Artist: Davis McCarty

Website
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Location: Port of San Francisco at Pier 27 Cruise Terminal Sidewalk
see map

Installation Date: October 2025

Partners: San Francisco Port, Sijbrandij Foundation, Building 180

photos by Masaki Omori; artist headshot by Jennifer Taylor

Big Art Loop is fiscally sponsored by Five Ton Crane. Please indicate that your gift is for Big Art Loop.

Pulse Portal is a 20-foot-tall archway created by artist Davis McCarty, known for his signature use of dichroic plexiglass that bends and reflects light in mesmerizing ways. Designed to evoke wonder and transformation, the sculpture creates an immersive experience for those who walk through it, shifting perceptions of space, color, and self. The piece has been featured at Burning Man, AREA15 in Las Vegas, and was highlighted by The New York Times for its captivating presence and emotional impact.

The Pier 27 Cruise Terminal is a high-traffic arrival point for travelers entering San Francisco. This prominent location offers a unique opportunity for the artwork to serve as a gateway into the city, aligning with the portal-like symbolism embedded in its form.

With its radiant surfaces and message of transformation, Pulse Portal creates a welcoming and visually striking experience that complements the City’s commitment to vibrant, accessible public art.

Colorful geometric sculpture at the cruise terminal plaza in San Francisco, with a waterfront view and cloudy sky.
A man with long hair and a beard smiling and touching colorful, holographic artwork at an outdoor exhibit during daytime.

About the Artist

Davis McCarty's functionally-integrated architectural sculptures have been installed and exhibited at museums, iconic buildings, and art festivals around the globe including: the Wright Museum of Art, Sears Tower, Union Station, Zhou B Art Center, Burning Man, and Symbiosis. His work is held in the Illinois State Museum public collection.

His art has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, CBS News, Business Insider, Huffington Post, The Creators Project, My Modern Met, and Bored Panda. One of seven children, Davis McCarty grew up the Philippines and Thailand and assisted his parents founding schools in remote cities. In 2003 he returned to America to pursue fine art and graduated with a BFA from Beloit College.

People walking near the pier at Pier 27 in San Francisco, with a colorful geometric sculpture and banners displaying the pier's name and cruise terminal against a partly cloudy sky.
Colorful geometric art installation resembling a large star or flower under a cloudy sky, with banners and signage for the San Francisco port visible nearby.
Colorful geometric sculpture at the entrance of the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal in San Francisco, featuring a diamond and triangular shapes with reflective, iridescent surfaces and the text '@DICRO DAVIS #PULSEPORTAL' on one side.
Colorful, geometric art installation at Port of San Francisco, with plants in the foreground and cloudy sky in the background.
Close-up of a colorful, geometric sculpture with iridescent panels against a cloudy sky, with a sign reading 'Pier 27 James R. Herman Cruise Terminal Port of San Francisco' in the foreground.