Miniature cast glass animals and stars sparkle on a bed of hand-made blue Nepal paper resembling the night sky. Kiki Smith’s creation in glass, bronze and paper was inspired by antique star charts that featured mythical humans and creatures from the animal world. In a striking room-size installation, one sees the universe as envisioned by ancient cultures. You just happen to be looking down at Constellation on the floor, rather than up to the dark sky illuminated by stars.

The molded glass figures—Leo (lion), Taurus (bull), Capricorn (goat), Pisces (fish), and Cancer (crab)—came to life through a collaboration with master glass artist, Pino Signoretto in Murano, Italy. In contrast to animals in the Museum of Glass Frogs installation, these are highly polished and some include imbedded gold leaf. (Constellation was originally part of a larger exhibit in Los Angeles, Paradise Cage.) In Smith’s sketchbook notes exploring the human relationship with animals, she wrote: “Some say 50 percent of the animals will be extinct in 50 years. How do you construct an identity without animals?”

Kiki Smith’s Constellation is on view at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri, June 9th- October 28th.

Image caption: Kiki Smith, Constellation, 1996. 26 various glass animal units, 630 bronze scat units and 67 glass star units, installation dimensions variable. © Kiki Smith, Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York. Photo by: Ellen Page Wilson / Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York.