San Francisco’s eastern plaza at Yerba Buena Gardens will host a distinctive public art piece this September: an amber‑colored dome that rises and fades in sync with the sunrise and sunset of the Philippines. The installation, titled “13°N, 122°E,” references the geographic center of the Philippine archipelago and will serve as the city’s first Filipino cultural marker.
Community collaboration brings the project to life
The dome is the result of a partnership among local artists, cultural groups, and neighborhood organizations, including SoMa Pilipinas, the art collective “mumu,” the Yerba Buena Gardens Community Benefit District, and the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy. Seve Ghose, executive director of the Conservancy, said the project offers an opportunity to acknowledge a painful chapter of the garden’s history: the 1960s‑70s construction that displaced thousands of residents, many of whom were Filipino, without official recognition.
In 2020, SoMa Pilipinas conducted a study proposing ways to “illuminate” the gardens with a marker of Filipino culture. The collective’s spokesperson, speaking for mumu, explained that the community simply needed a visible symbol to prevent future marginalization. After presenting the findings to the Conservancy and the Yerba Buena Partnership in early 2024, the proposal was approved.
Design rooted in Filipino identity
Artists from mumu explored several symbols before selecting the sun. “The sun is a star,” they explained, noting that it represents home for a maritime people spread across more than 7,000 islands. By placing the dome at the geographic center of the archipelago—12‑hour latitude and longitude coordinates that avoid favoring any single island—the piece underscores a shared sense of horizon, hope, and longing.
The dome’s design required two years of development. Fabricated in Thailand to withstand San Francisco’s weather and potential graffiti, the structure will float above a fountain, reflecting light on the water’s surface. Although slated as a temporary installation until around 2030, the San Francisco Arts Commission has already earmarked funds for a permanent version, according to Raquel Redondiez, executive director of SoMa Pilipinas.
Soft launch and community response
A mini “sun‑veiling” ceremony took place on August 8 during the Filipino festival Pistahan, allowing community members to view the dome for the first time. About a hundred people gathered, listening to traditional harana music as the glowing sphere rose. “To come together in community, serenaded by harana, for the soft launch of 13ºN 122ºE, feels like a return home,” said a representative of mumu.
The installation not only celebrates Filipino heritage but also serves as a reminder of the neighborhood’s resilience. As Ghose put it, “I’ll put the ‘temporary’ in quotes,” emphasizing the long‑term commitment to honoring the Filipino community’s contributions and history in San Francisco.
What’s next?
The dome will officially debut on September 4, coinciding with the start of the fall season. Residents and visitors alike are invited to experience the shifting light, which will mirror the daily rhythm of the Philippines and offer a visual link between the Bay Area and the archipelago thousands of miles away.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
