The
ceiling’s painted mural depicts the path of the sun as it
crosses the celestial equator. This dotted gold line of the sun’s
path is the focus and organizing principal in the painted ceiling,
yet an actual representation of the sun is absent. The installation's
projected sun traces this path across the ceiling following the
line already painted in the sky mural.
The animation of the sun derives from high-resolution images
from The National Solar Observatory and animated 3D computer
graphics. The animation will be projected by the Catalyst System,
a new projection technology. This system allows the digital
sun animation to move across the entire ceiling while maintaining
a constant size.
This work transforms the still, painted map into a living simulation
and can be thought of as a sunray in reverse. It will also give
New Yorkers a rare winter glimpse of the sun.
