South African artist Daniel Popper has created an artistic landmark in Miami’s Arts District. Titled Lumen, the larger-than-life sculpture is permanently installed as the entrance to Society Wynwood, a vibrant apartment community. It’s covered in mosaic tile that comes alive when it’s dark. During the day, viewers can admire the earth-toned surface, but at night, projection mapping completely reimagines the mosaics. Suddenly, the sculpture lights up with a colorful, changing digital display. The surface now looks chrome, and the figure has iridescent colors painted over its eyelids—until the next projection.
The Lumen structure features organic, vine-like elements that begin on the ground and extend 30 feet in the air. They are meant to signify the “hidden channels of energy within the city,” as the name of the piece is a reference to the anatomy of a plant. Lumen, which comes from the Latin word meaning “an opening,” is the inside space of a tube, such as an artery. With this in mind, Popper’s piece is a fitting way to celebrate the hustle and bustle of Miami, a metropolis known for its beaches, art, and lively day-to-night culture. It's all made possible by the people who live and love Miami and work hard to add to its collective vitality.
“Creating Lumen for Society in Wynwood was an exciting opportunity to contribute to the area’s dynamic art scene,” Popper tells My Modern Met. “It allowed me to further explore mosaics as a way to connect people with the essence of our human nature, while using handcrafted textures to bring viewers’s attention into the present moment.”
You can find Lumen at the entrance of Society Wynwood, located at 2431 NW 2nd Ave in Miami.
South African artist Daniel Popper has created an artistic landmark in Miami’s Arts District.
Titled Lumen, the larger-than-life sculpture is permanently installed as the entrance to Society Wynwood, a vibrant apartment community.
It’s covered in mosaic tile that comes alive when it’s dark. During the day, viewers can admire the earth-toned surface…
…but at night, projection mapping completely reimagines the mosaics.
Another variation of Lumen was installed at Electric Forest 2025 in Rothbury, Michigan. Check out the projection mapping in action:
View this post on Instagram
