New Light

Aug. 12, 2020

Slow TV: Star Ceiling 2

Lose yourself in the cosmos with Bright Golden Haze artist Leo Villareal

A sitting figure gestures with their hands as they speak against a white backdrop

Leo Villareal, Bright Golden Haze artist

For as long as humans have contemplated their place in the universe, the stars have been a source of wonder and inspiration. Bright Golden Haze artist Leo Villareal takes our fascination with the cosmos to a whole new level in his Star Ceiling installations, creating dramatic night skies filled with shooting stars and dancing light patterns crafted through binary code.

"Light is primal," Villareal said. "It's almost like staring into a fire. But being able to re-create whatever's happening there, through these synthetic means, is very interesting. And I think part of that is the abstract elements in my work. I’m not using images. I'm not using text. So it's very open-ended. It’s non-repeating. There are all these things that make it kind of highly subjective, so people can come to their own conclusions with it."

A figure stands with their arms crossed beneath an LED ceiling depicting the stars of a night sky

Star Ceiling 2 by Leo Villareal (Photo by Alex Marks)

Visitors will soon get a chance to lose themselves in Villareal's jaw-dropping work — featuring artist-made, zero-gravity benches to complete the immersive experience — but until then, check out our latest Slow TV installment featuring Star Ceiling 2, on view in Oklahoma Contemporary's delayed inaugural exhibition. Designed to help you unwind amid the daily stress of our new normal, this meditative video is the perfect prescription for slowing down in a world that won't stop moving.