Sometimes the most beautiful stories are about second chances, and a spectacular piece of American art just got its own moment of redemption in Detroit.

After spending decades forgotten in a dusty mall basement, a breathtaking 26-foot sculpture by celebrated artist Harry Bertoia is once again dazzling viewers—this time in the stunning seven-story atrium of General Motors' new global headquarters. The transformation from neglected relic to centerpiece attraction is a testament to the power of persistence and the enduring value of public art.

The discovery itself reads like a treasure hunt adventure. In 2017, Terri Stearn and Jeffrey Lygon from the Southfield Arts Commission were exploring the closed Northland Mall's basement with flashlights and hard hats when they stumbled upon something extraordinary. "We screamed, we were so excited—like kids in a candy store," Stearn recalls of the moment they simultaneously recognized the corroded piece as an original Bertoia.

What makes this story even more meaningful are the beautiful connections tying everything together. The sculpture was originally commissioned in 1970 for a mall in Flint, Michigan, by the J.L. Hudson Company. Now it's found its perfect home at Hudson's Detroit—a development built on the site of the former J.L. Hudson Department Store. It's as if the artwork has come full circle, returning to its roots.

General Motors was the ideal steward for this treasure. The company had previously commissioned Bertoia's first-ever public sculpture installation in 1953—a stunning 36-foot wall screen that still graces their Technical Center campus. The artist, an Italian immigrant who moved to Detroit at 15, shared GM's passion for metal craftsmanship and the magical interplay between metal and light.

The restoration was a labor of love requiring over a year of meticulous work. GM invested $1 million to purchase the piece from Southfield and bring it back to life. The sculpture—featuring two groups of vertical steel wires coated in brass, bronze, and metal alloys—now gleams as brilliantly as the day it was created. Installing it required crews to cut a 15-foot-wide opening in the building and carefully maneuver the two-piece sculpture using cranes.

Today, the masterpiece hangs majestically several floors above ground, illuminated by natural sunlight streaming through the glass ceiling. Bertoia's daughter Celia sees it as "something you'd find out in the universe," reflecting her father's spiritual connection to otherworldly realities.

Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect is what comes next. GM plans to offer public tours of their new headquarters, ensuring this rescued artwork can finally fulfill its creator's dream. Harry Bertoia, who passed away in 1978, passionately believed his sculptures should be accessible to everyone. "He wanted his work to be seen," notes art historian Marin R. Sullivan. "He wanted his work to live in all senses of the word."

From forgotten basement relic to celebrated public masterpiece, this sculpture's journey reminds us that great art has a way of finding its light again—sometimes it just takes a few dedicated people with flashlights and a lot of heart.