Object Details
Artist
Leo Villareal
Date
2012
Medium
White LED lights, custom software, electrical hardware, and metal
Dimensions
67 feet, 6 inches x 44 feet, 4 inches
Credit Line
Acquired through the generosity of Richard Baker, Class of 1988, and Lisa Baker
Object
Number
2012.056
Named in homage to Cornell astronomy professor Carl Sagan (1934–1996), Cosmos is a site-spe(…)
Named in homage to Cornell astronomy professor Carl Sagan (1934–1996), Cosmos is a site-specific installation by New York–based artist Leo Villareal, a pioneer in the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and computer-driven imagery. Villareal’s signature pieces explore complex movement and dazzling patterns created by points of light using his own computer software.
Planning for Cosmos began in 2010, when Villareal—along with project architect Walter Smith and donors Lisa and Richard Baker—worked with Johnson Museum staff to determine the optimal location for the installation. The ceiling of the Sherry and Joel Mallin Sculpture Court was chosen for its high visibility not only on campus but also from the city of Ithaca. After studying the Museum’s architectural plans and considering structural and aesthetic aspects of the installation, the artist’s team returned to Cornell in the spring of 2012 to install a nine-foot-square mock-up. Installation of the final piece took several weeks that fall, with twelve thousand energy-efficient LEDs on a gridded framework attached to the ceiling of the sculpture court. The zero gravity bench was designed by the artist for viewers to fully immerse themselves in the viewing experience and to foster a more communal involvement with his installation.
