Set on Dundas Street West in Toronto’s Little Portugal, “Colour of Strings” is a vibrant pendant installation designed for a 20-foot container stage at Do West Fest 2026. The container’s structural ribbing becomes part of the visual language, supporting an arrangement of colourful threads and pendant decorative elements resembling chaplets. Together, they create a bright, rhythmic composition that transforms the container’s exterior and interior into a kinetic art stage – a living backdrop for performances by local music bands.
Do West Fest was created by the community and remains a festival built by and for the members of the Little Portugal Toronto BIA – a celebration of music, art, and culture on Dundas West. The container stage, dressed in “Colour of Strings”, became one of the festival’s most photographed spots in summer 2026.
Project Type
Art Installation / Stage Design
Location
Dundas St W, Little Portugal
Toronto, ON
Dates
Summer 2026
The concept
“Colour of Strings” responds naturally to airflow: even a slight breeze sets the hanging strings in motion, creating a glowing composition of colour, rhythm, and movement. Pendant ornaments and circular decorative elements are woven throughout, while flexible LED lighting from below adds depth and brings the installation to life.
The concept was developed through a series of sketches, defining how the cascades of ropes, spheres, and light would weave through the container – a kinetic sculpture that shifts from day to night with the light and the musical energy.
How it's made
Preparation
Careful preparation came first: measuring and cutting hundreds of metres of threads, crafting of circular ornaments and hanging elements, and pre-assembling the suspended ropes – colour by colour, thread by thread.
How it's made
Installation
On site, the ropes were tensioned inside the container with the threads already installed, ready to move with the wind, light, and music.
The project statistics
Colourful ropes (m)
1200
Rope (m)
10
Magnetic hooks
30
LED lighting (m)
5
About Festival
Do West Fest is a free street festival on Dundas West, created by the community and built by and for the members of the Little Portugal Toronto BIA. In summer 2026, the festival’s container stage hosted performances by local music bands – framed by the “Colour of Strings” installation.
About Designer
The Container Stage
Behind “Colour of Strings” is Nargiza Usmanova – artist, designer, and one half of the NUMZ Graphics duet. Her personal website gathers her art installations and designs, including this project.
