Berlin-based Tomislav Topic created a gateway art installation that welcomes visitors to Trebly Park in Houston, Texas with a fluttering canopy called “Porta Pigmenta.” This artwork brightly greets visitors as they enter the park. Painted layers of mesh fabric are suspended from a metal armature creating waves of floating color. The artwork is transformed by the changing wind and light, constantly filling the sky with colorful shifting cloudlike forms.

Each asymmetrical row of material features a different color gradient mounted in a V-shape. As park visitors walk underneath, their eyes are drawn upwards to the colors and the negative space between the fabric that corresponds with the park’s sidewalk.

Weingarten Art Group partnered with the Downtown Redevelopment Authority and renowned local, national, and international artists to create the art program at Trebly Park. The park and its art debuted in early 2023 on a ¾ block in Downtown Houston and, within this small footprint, features both permanent and temporary artworks that welcome park visitors to a space of immersive play with an emphasis on color and pattern.

The goal for the art program at Trebly Park is to weave art into a neighborhood park in a way that transforms it into a downtown oasis. “Porta Pigmenta” is an interaction between the artist and the visitor’s perception of the environment. This work enhances the beauty provided by nature and invites us to enjoy everyday life by engaging our senses.