Houston-based artist Karen Navarro presents her first major public installation, Chroma Collective, developed during the pilot year of Discovery Green’s Art Lab, a mentorship program designed to help Houston artists transition from studio practice to large-scale public art. Art Lab provided Navarro with mentorship, resources, and guidance from Houston-based design firm Metalab, artist Jen Lewin, and co-curators from Weingarten Art Group, enabling her to bring this ambitious project to life.

The installation is a 22-foot-long, six-and-a-half-foot-tall serpentine sculpture featuring 31 mirrored columns and 93 rotating panels. Some panels display images of Houstonians (and the artist herself), while others reflect the environment and visitors, creating an interactive, participatory experience. By spinning the panels, viewers generate constantly shifting patterns that explore the interplay between individuality and interconnectedness. The result is a playful, layered sculpture that invites cultural storytelling, reflection, and personal introspection.

Navarro draws from her own identity as an Argentinian-born artist of European and Indigenous ancestry and invited local Houstonians to contribute portraits and stories, reflecting the rich diversity of the city. The work encourages viewers to consider personal and collective identity, cultural hybridity, and the stories we carry—all while seeing themselves within Houston’s shared urban fabric.

On view September 12 – November 2, 2025 on the Sarofim Picnic Lawn at Discovery Green, Chroma Collective marks both the culmination of Art Lab’s inaugural year and a milestone in Navarro’s evolving public art practice.

Photography by Nicki Evans

Videography by Tripp Films