Nova - Studio Vertigo

About

A dazzling new star lands in the centre of Brighton as Studio Vertigo’s Nova transforms the newly pedestrianised Pavilion Square with light and sound.

Presented in Pavilion Square – next to the War Memorial at the Old Steine – Nova will be the first artwork to be exhibited in this newly created public space.

Inspired by the astronomical phenomenon of a nova, when a dormant star suddenly reignites and dramatically increases in brightness, the work takes the form of a monumental, glowing star. Its surface is pierced with more than 56,000 tiny apertures, allowing light to shine through the reflective metal and create swirling galaxy-like patterns across the sculpture and surrounding ground. Smoke effects add to the sense of encountering a star brought down to Earth.

Nova is also a sonic experience. An ambient soundscape uses sonified audio from NASA’s open-science programme, translating astronomical data into gentle tones and textures. Light and sound combine to evoke the scale and mystery of the cosmos.

The work reflects on renewal and connection: the elements that make up stars also form planets and living bodies, reminding us that we are part of a much larger pattern running through the universe and through our own lives.

About Studio Vertigo:

Studio Vertigo is a UK-based art and design collective founded by artists Lucy McDonnell and Stephen Newby. Working with a multidisciplinary team, the studio creates light installations and sculptural interventions that respond to – and sometimes gently disrupt – their surroundings.

Treating light as a material and public space as their canvas, Studio Vertigo creates work for streets, waterfronts, parks and historic buildings. Their installations have been presented internationally, including in Seoul, Amsterdam, Taiwan and Sydney.

What to expect:

Nova is a large-scale outdoor light and sound installation situated in Pavilion Square. The artwork features changing light, an ambient soundscape and smoke effects.

The work can be experienced from the surrounding pedestrianised public space and viewed from different positions as the patterns of light change across the sculpture and ground.