COLOR LEDs, ANODIZED ALUMINUM, CUSTOM SOFTWARE, AND ELECTRIC HARDWARE
204 x 192 x 192 INCHES
COURTESY OF THE NANCY A. NASHER AND DAVID J. HAEMISEGGER COLLECTION
Leo Villareal's Buckyball takes its name from the colloquial name for the molecule formally titled Buckminsterfullerene. Discovered in 1985, the molecule consists of 60 carbon atoms that are linked in a spherical shape of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons, reminiscent of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes.
Buckyball is composed of two nested, geodesic sculptural spheres; the larger is sixteen feet in diameter, and the smaller is eight. The spheres are made of aluminum tubing with a total of 4,500 LED nodes, each capable of displaying 16 million distinct colors. Sophisticated custom software developed by the artist and collaborators controls the elaborate, unpredictable sequencing of the lights.
