Microscopia... Wow, pretty!
When you think Australia, you may well think surfing and koalas, not hi-tech artistry, but for the 70 million people expected to visit Shanghai Expo 2010, that impression will be forever changed once they see what the Australia pavilion has in store.
Yesterday, the Canberra Times carried a story about Microscopia, a beautiful piece of hybrid art seamlessly integrating the ancient art of kiln-fired glass production with modern, linear light-emitting diode (LED) technology, and the results are seriously cool.
Essentially, Microscopia consists of a collection of shaped and treated kiln-fired glass panels assembled over a "light drawing," which produce a mesmerizing effect only alluded to in the picture above. The project, led by internationally-renowned Australian artist Warren Langley, will showcase Canberra Glassworks' expertise and industry-leading creative skills on the world stage. We're thinking the world will probably be impressed.
The texture and shaping of the glass create a moving surface of light. As the viewer changes position, a unique, transformative visual effect will cause the image to change with perspective.
Adding to an Expo artistic lineup which already features the shock-and-awe visual effects of the State Grid pavilion's 720-degree full immersion mega-screens and Canada's huge list of multi-media/talent performances, the Australian pavilion's Microscopia piece, with its contemplative quiet and gently beautiful transformations, fits in quite nicely.
Poor Expo-goers, with all the amazing architecture, great food and culture to experience, their jaws will drop the second they arrive at the site, and probably hang open until they leave. Hey, no one said enjoying all this Expo goodness would be easy!
Picture from the Canberra Times
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