Hot-worked glass
Discovery through Light, 2024
National Biotechnology Research Park, Taipei, Taiwan
L 15 m x H 6 m x W 5 m (50 ft x 20 ft x 16 ft)
Glass, acrylic, stainless-steel cable
“Discovery through Light” is a public art installation at the National Biotechnology Research Park in Taipei, Taiwan, completed in 2024. Managed by DADA IDEA Co., Ltd. and created by artist Kana Tanaka, this project explores the interplay of light and form through hand-sculpted optical glass.
Science constantly peers through glass lenses to unravel life’s mysteries, no matter how small. These lenses reveal and illuminate the unknown, helping us visualize what is invisible to the naked eye. Through its reflections and refractions, glass offers a glimpse into fantastical realms, sparking imagination and hinting at wonders yet to be explored.
This installation features twenty hand-sculpted lenses mounted at eye level to large windows surrounding a cylindrical open-air atrium in the entrance lobby, and 140 solid glass orbs suspended above. Each lens captures transformed perspectives of plant life, buildings, and the sky, inviting viewers to explore new dimensions of their environment as they continue around the atrium to the stairway. The concept reflects the role of glass in scientific discovery, allowing us to peer into the microscopic world and uncover life’s mysteries.
