Leo Villareal's Buckyball takes its name from the colloquial name for the molecule formally titled Buckminsterfullerene. Discovered in 1985, the molecule consists of 60 carbon atoms that are linked in a spherical shape of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons, reminiscent of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes.

Buckyball is composed of two nested, geodesic sculptural spheres; the larger is sixteen feet in diameter, and the smaller is eight. The spheres are made of aluminum tubing with a total of 4,500 LED nodes, each capable of displaying 16 million distinct colors. Sophisticated custom software developed by the artist and collaborators controls the elaborate, unpredictable sequencing of the lights.