About the artists and work

A Nova is a transient astronomical event which causes a star to quickly increase the strength of the light it emits. This dramatic process takes place when a star reignites after lying dormant for many years.

The Nova artwork is based on the mythical Star of the East which astronomers now believe was actually a nova. As a spectator, you will feel like you are experiencing a nova, or ‘new’ star – mighty and dazzling.

The artwork is a bold sculptural form, a visually complex lantern that also comes to life with smoke effects. It has over 56,000 laser profiled apertures which allow the internal light source to shine through its reflective metal surface, creating swirling galaxy patterns on the star and projecting light onto the ground.