Current Exhibition

Clifford Ross

Digital Waves

Details

  • Dates

    -
  • Locations

    West Building

    West Building Main Floor, Rotunda

  • Ticketing Information

    Admission is always free and passes are not required

Our central, soaring Rotunda comes alive with a 23-foot-tall screen featuring waves of glowing pixels.

Clifford Ross has spent decades studying the sea—from photographing hurricane waves to creating custom, computer-generated videos of the ocean. In Digital Waves, Ross mimics the seemingly random shapes and movements of waves across millions of pixels, each one corresponding with an LED bulb. The result is a “light storm,” as the artist says. This installation reveals not only “the complexity and power of the ocean,” but also “the surprises of form and movement…central to the wonder we experience.” Come stand by our cascading fountain and Ross’s imaginary surf and enjoy a moment of awe.

Organization   
Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Banner image: Clifford Ross, Digital Waves, 2026, computer-generated video, National Gallery of Art, Promised Gift of an anonymous donor, © Clifford Ross