Nepenthes, Light sculpture collection in Old Town Chinatown, Portland, US

Nepenthes is a series of four fiberglass sculptures by Dan Corson, installed in 2013 along Northwest Davis Street between Fifth and Eighth Avenues. Each bulbous form stands nearly 17 feet (5.2 m) tall, with a narrow waist and a flared top, painted in glossy wavy stripes of dark brown-black and orange-red. Photovoltaic panels let them glow after dark.

Nepenthes was commissioned by TriMet's Portland Mall Project, with a $300,000 budget, to improve pedestrian connectivity between Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl District. Artist Dan Corson was hired by the project's design team, led by ZGF Architects, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council facilitated the commission. The four sculptures were installed in May 2013.

The sculptures serve as a bridge between Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl District, bringing together natural forms and modern technology in public art. When you walk past at night, you experience how contemporary installations shape the character of the neighborhood.

The four sculptures stand on the sidewalk of Northwest Davis Street between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, so they are seen on foot while walking between Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl District. Some pieces sit in spots chosen for direct sunlight or to clear infrastructure under the pavement, so their spacing is uneven. After dark the photovoltaic cells power internal lights.

The molds made for Portland were reused in Paisley, Edmonton, for a version called Nepenthes Paisleyi, fitted with motion sensors that trigger light animations after nightfall. The Portland pieces were placed partly to catch direct sunlight for their solar panels, so some stand in spots that look awkward.