UVA's Envision highlighted Wolfgang Buttress' installation, NINFEO, at the Contemplative Commons.
A Serene Immersion
"A new sound, light, and sculptural experience in the Contemplative Commons, “NINFEO” is a site-specific artwork commissioned by A. Cary Brown (Col ’84) and Steve Epstein, in honor of their friend Lyn Bolen Warren (Grad Arts & Sciences ’86, ’94). Created by Wolfgang Buttress, an award-winning artist based in the United Kingdom, “NINFEO” is made up of 3,320 unique, laser-etched illuminated crystal blocks inspired by the water lilies of the Dell Pond and based on thousands of three-dimensional hand drawings. A 180-degree infrared camera is attached to a French antique buoy in the pond, tracking the movement of fish, flora, and currents in the Dell. This triggers a responsive light and sound system that infuses the installation. A thermal camera in the roof of the installation expresses human movement in the crystal blocks as warm, white light. The installation helps connect viewers with a theme that is reinforced throughout the Contemplative Commons: the essential interplay between humans and the natural world."