A kinetic sculpture that surrounds the Olympic flame cauldron in Rio de Janeiro might look a little familiar to those who have been in downtown Greenville.To see video of sculpture in Rio, click here | To see video of sculpture in Downtown Greenville, click here. The 40-foot, two-ton Sun Sculpture around the cauldron was designed by kinetic wind sculpture Anthony Howe, whose sculpture “Octo” was installed on the corner of McBee and Falls streets in Greenville in 2014.The 2016 Rio Olympic Committee commissioned Howe in August 2015 to create the sculpture for the Olympic venue. Howe created a second smaller version of the sculpture for a park in the Candelaria area downtown Rio.In an interview with PR Newswire, Howe said: "My vision was to replicate the sun, using movement to mimic its pulsing energy and reflection of light. I hope what people take away from the cauldron, the Opening Ceremonies, and the Rio Games themselves is that there are no limits to what a human being can accomplish."Besides downtown Greenville and Rio, Howe has large kinetic sculptures in public spaces in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, California and New York City.Howe lives and works on an island off the coast of Seattle.

A kinetic sculpture that surrounds the Olympic flame cauldron in Rio de Janeiro might look a little familiar to those who have been in downtown Greenville.

To see video of sculpture in Rio, click here | To see video of sculpture in Downtown Greenville, click here.


The 40-foot, two-ton Sun Sculpture around the cauldron was designed by kinetic wind sculpture Anthony Howe, whose sculpture “Octo” was installed on the corner of McBee and Falls streets in Greenville in 2014.

The 2016 Rio Olympic Committee commissioned Howe in August 2015 to create the sculpture for the Olympic venue. Howe created a second smaller version of the sculpture for a park in the Candelaria area downtown Rio.

In an interview with PR Newswire, Howe said: "My vision was to replicate the sun, using movement to mimic its pulsing energy and reflection of light. I hope what people take away from the cauldron, the Opening Ceremonies, and the Rio Games themselves is that there are no limits to what a human being can accomplish."

Besides downtown Greenville and Rio, Howe has large kinetic sculptures in public spaces in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, California and New York City.

Howe lives and works on an island off the coast of Seattle.