This October, an acclaimed international artist will paint a large-scale, temporary fresco in San Francisco. The piece has been shown in major cities worldwide and will now appear in San Francisco, with a three-day live painting and celebration following its completion.
Beyond Walls in San Francisco
The public art piece, titled Beyond Walls, will take over the Great Lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens starting on October 5, 2026. The artist behind the work, Saype, will paint it live, using biodegradable materials over three days to create an image of hands clasped together.
“The arts are driving our comeback. Public art like this is bringing energy and joy back to downtown—giving residents and visitors another reason to come here,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “And in Saype’s fresco, they’ll see a powerful symbol of what we can build when we come together. That’s the spirit driving San Francisco forward, and I can’t wait to see Yerba Buena Gardens transformed this October. Thank you to our partners in France for helping bring world-class artists like Saype to San Francisco.”
The fresco is temporary, made using biodegradable materials such as chalk and charcoal. Once the piece is complete, there will be a celebration at Yerba Buena Gardens with a human chain of interlocking hands around it. The celebration will take place on October 7th, at 4:30 pm. Beyond Walls originally made its debut in Paris, in front of the Eiffel Tower. The piece has traveled to 22 other locations, including Tokyo and Venice. However, San Francisco is Saype’s first West Coast installation.