Signals in the Sails

Signals is a proposed public artwork for Houlton that visualises wireless communication through light, geometry and collective making. The work responds to the first transatlantic wireless telephone call between Rugby Radio and Houlton, Maine, translating signals into a sculptural form created by the community.

How the idea works visually

The surface of each sail is created from hundreds of small triangular artworks. These individual triangles are made by members of the community and assembled into larger composite images.

• Up close:
  Individual contributions are visible — drawings, marks, patterns and ideas created by participants.
• From a distance:
  The triangles resolve into lighter, layered images that suggest waves, signals and transmission through space.

This layered approach allows the artwork to operate at multiple scales, reflecting how wireless communication itself is experienced — personal and intimate, yet vast and collective.

Day and night

Integrated low-energy lighting within the central pole softly illuminates the sails after dark. At night, the sculpture becomes a quiet beacon — a visible signal in the landscape — reinforcing themes of connection, communication and shared space.

Signal Lines turns a globally significant but invisible moment in history into a shared, visible experience. By combining contemporary sculpture with community authorship, the project embeds learning, participation and identity into the public realm, creating a lasting cultural landmark rooted in place.