Internationally renowned artist Ned Kahn designed "Slice of Wind" for the University of Colorado-Boulder. Kahn creates pieces that either work with or display the presence of natural phenomena such as wind, water, and fog. "Slice of Wind" consists of 10,000 aluminum plated mylar discs mounted onto a 10 foot by 10 foot PVC plate that is bolted to the side of the building. Viewers can interact with the work by pushing on a lever that causes the plate to vibrate. The wind also naturally moves the discs, revealing the wind's movement and reflecting light from the sky and nearby buildings. Contrasts are visible between the appearance of wind disturbance and human interaction: the wind creates complex organic patterns, whereas the lever produces orderly geometric patterns. Kahn sought to show complex non-linear behavior and a sense of order and disorder, a lesson that he felt would be educational and insightful for those in the engineering field. 1997. Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder.
