Watch a 100,000-Piece Domino Structure Fall in 8 Minutes

In the realm of unique professions, few are as nerve-wracking as being a domino artist-in-residence. One wrong move and months of meticulous work could come crashing down prematurely.

When it all goes according to plan, the results are nothing short of breathtaking. Recently, Lily Hevesh showcased her immense talent by organizing a domino art installation consisting of over 100,000 pieces at Washington’s National Building Museum. As the resident domino artist there, Hevesh oversaw the construction of one section that stood an impressive 33 feet, 3 inches tall. This achievement earned recognition from Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest domino structure, executed flawlessly.

Hevesh’s project is part of her larger artistic vision, which My Modern Met notes, aims to create intricate portraits that reveal themselves once the dominos fall. The resulting video showcases the amazing transformation, with sections that collapse to depict the Washington, D.C. skyline, the *Mona Lisa*, and various flower arrangements. Due to the complexity of the design, the entire sequence takes over 8 minutes to complete.

Hevesh’s portfolio includes other jaw-dropping installations. For instance, she constructed characters from the *Super Mario Bros.* series as a promotional event for the 2023 animated movie, requiring 18,000 dominos. Perhaps one of her most popular projects involves a clever illusion where the dominos appear to fall “up” a set of stairs.

According to *The Washington Post*, Hevesh, who is now 25, began her journey in domino art at the tender age of 10. Since then, her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has amassed over 1.8 billion views, captivating audiences with her increasingly elaborate designs. “When you see the effects that the dominoes are creating by having that motion and kinetic energy, that’s where I think the real beauty of domino art comes out,” she told *The Post*.

After a year in college, Hevesh made the bold decision to pursue her passion for dominos full-time. She eschews traditional black-and-white dominos in favor of a proprietary design that comes in various colors and features a texture that minimizes slippage.

Despite her expertise and specialized equipment, Hevesh is no stranger to setbacks. Discussing a failed attempt from 2016, she recounted an effort to build an almost 20-foot-tall domino tower. “We were 12 layers away from finishing, we were really close,” she told Glimmer. Just as she placed a domino at the top, the entire structure wobbled and then collapsed. “We both just slowly watched it fall over, crumbling to the ground,” she shared. The incident became unexpectedly popular, possibly even more so than a successful attempt might have been. Hevesh has compiled some of her other “fails” in a video that continues to entertain her audience.

At the National Building Museum, visitors can watch Hevesh prepare her stunning works. Fortunately, a small fence surrounds the dominos, ensuring that eager onlookers and their wandering feet do not accidentally topple her creations prematurely.

Source: My Modern Met, The Washington Post