A Closer Look at Portland's Giant, Carnivorous Street Lights

For several weeks now, Portland residents have had the unexpected pleasure of walking through an alien greenhouse of huge, bizarrely colored carnivorous plants. These 17-foot-tall monstrosities loom over the sidewalk of NW Davis Street, glowing with self-generated electricity and looking like they might suddenly rotate toward a passerby and bellow, "FEED ME, SEYMOUR!"

Portland installed this unnatural plantlife as part of the Mall Project, an ambitious facelift of nearly 60 blocks downtown. The sculptures are permanent street lamps, positioned to create a pedestrian-friendly link between Chinatown and the Pearl District. "By referencing the patterns of native Oregon native and other carnivorous plants and inserting a quirky expression of nature into an urban environment," writes the Regional Arts and Culture Council, "these sculptures celebrate Old Town Chinatown neighborhood's unique and diverse community."