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.

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 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.  

Studio Vertigo is a collaboration between Lucy McDonnell and Stephen Newby who work internationally to create light installations and sculpture. They create work that questions the relationship between objects, viewers and their environment. 

Their work has been shown internationally and recently been commissioned for Amsterdam Light Festival, Lumiere Durham, Vivid Sydney, CPH Copenhagen Light Festival, iLight Singapore and Taiwan Lantern Festival.