Arts Commission approves temporary installation of 45-foot 'Our Evolution' sculpture at Embarcadero Plaza

The San Francisco Arts Commission on March 3 approved a motion to allow the temporary installation of a 45-foot sculpture by Marco Cochrane, titled Our Evolution (also referred to as Revolution), to be placed at Embarcadero Plaza pending final approval from the Recreation and Park Department.

Director of Property Management Dana Ketchum and Shannon Riley, CEO and co‑founder of Building 180, presented the proposal and technical details. Riley said the piece is 45 feet tall with a 2-foot base (47 feet total), weighs about 32,000 pounds including counterweights, and has a 23‑foot diameter base; it contains motors and lighting that will create a daily “breathing” effect and will be erected using heavy equipment over a four- to five-day installation window. Riley said the project team has structural engineering and DPW oversight and that the installation site is not in a BART-restricted area.

The commission’s discussion covered public safety, structural and seismic concerns, vendor displacement at Embarcadero Plaza, and community reaction. Commissioner Abby Schneier moved the motion; Commissioner Benavides seconded. Commissioners asked staff for assurances that the structural engineering reports had been reviewed by DPW and that the Recreation and Park Department had signed off on safety checks. Stockhausen, the installation’s design engineer, told the commission the sculpture’s counterweight system would rest on marine-grade plywood with no ground penetrations and that the piece had been installed successfully at other long‑term locations.

Commissioners also raised concerns about public reaction to the large nude female figure and about whether the installation would create an unfair commercial advantage for the artist; Commissioner Beltran asked that the city attorney review whether the placement could be seen as a commercial showcase tied to a work offered for sale. That request was noted on the record during the vote. Commissioners discussed the requested term: the staff reading of the motion requested authorization for placement from mid‑March 2025 through early March 2026; Ketchum said Rec & Park may determine the final duration and could limit the installation to six months with the option to extend.

At the close of debate the commission voted to approve the motion. The motion was moved by Commissioner Abby Schneier and seconded by Commissioner Benavides. The motion carried; one commissioner stated an intention to seek city‑attorney review on potential commercial‑advantage issues prior to casting a final vote and a nay was recorded on the roll call before the motion carried. The Recreation and Park Department must provide final permitting and site approval before installation proceeds.

Presenters said the installation would be accompanied by programming and daily activations intended to draw visitors into downtown, and that staff had worked with downtown stakeholders to minimize displacement of existing artists and vendors: project staff said they identified alternate vendor locations and expected to add additional artist spots as part of the activation plan. Presenters also said the installation would use LED illumination and a single daily “breathing” hour at sunset to encourage public pause and reflection.

The motion’s printed language named the Shivranji Foundation as sponsor; during the presentation staff identified the C Brandy Foundation and Downtown SF partners as project sponsors and permit coordinators. Commissioners noted the discrepancy and requested staff clarify the sponsor and permit‑holding arrangements in the permitting package to Rec & Park.

No timeline for shipment or final installation dates was provided beyond the mid‑March 2025 target window for arrival and the contingency that Rec & Park finalize the permit.