Tara Donovan's Stratagems: CD Towers Illuminate Technological Obsolescence at ICA SF

At the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, Tara Donovan's installation, Stratagems, turns countless outdated compact discs into sculptures that respond to light. Created in 2026 from CDs, concrete, and stainless steel, the piece features vertical structures that shimmer and refract illumination. Donovan's artistic approach transforms ordinary materials to investigate themes of perception and accumulation. Stratagems reflects on the evolution of technology and memory, situated in the glass-walled annex of the Transamerica Pyramid Center. The artwork contemplates cycles of creativity and obsolescence, positioning CDs as 'relics of a very recent past.' The exhibition is open from January 17 to July 31, 2026, at 600 Montgomery Street, San Francisco.