Cupola Project
ICA Chattanooga
752 Vine Street Chattanooga, TN, 37403 United States (map)
Cupola: A Collaboration installation image, Lyndon House Arts Center, Athens, GA, June 13-Aug 31, 2024. Photo: Thrasher Photography.
Martijn van Wagdentonk: Cupola Project
Jan 13 - March 7, 2026
Ingenium potis irritat Musa poetis; Bacche, soles Phoebo fertilis esse tuo.
Propertius, Elegies, 4.6.75-6
When the makers are in their cups, the Muse stirs up their genius.
The Cupola project was initiated in 2023 by artist and professor Martijn Van Wagtendonk as a class sculpture assignment at University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, engaging over 45 students and faculty from diverse disciplines and growing. Inspired by Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi, the project integrates engineering, science, language, music, philosophy, and kinetic sculpture into a fantastical interactive structure. Cupola is meticulously constructed with mortise and tenon joints, and its form has continued to expand over recent years. This collaborative endeavor originally engaged over 45 students and faculty from diverse disciplines. Designed with portability in mind, Cupola is akin to a mobile fairground attraction, easily assembled and disassembled, making it ready to travel and delight audiences across the land.
Initial financial support from Cupola originated from the Willson Center for Humanities & Arts and the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Additionally, a sustainability grant from UGA's Office of Sustainability facilitated a laboratory class, focusing on constructing the Dome of the Cupola using recycled and sustainable materials, ensuring structural integrity without compromising aesthetic appeal. More recently, Cupola received a grant from the Parents Leadership Council, allowing for broader participation with additional students and contributors, and experts to enhance the project further and take it on the road.
Martijn van Wagtendonk (Dutch, b. 1974) is Associate Professor and Area Chair of Sculpture at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia. He holds an MFA in Sculpture from Ohio State University and an MFA in Experimental Animation from the School of Film and Video at California Institute of the Arts. Martijn frequently collaborates with his wife, artist Carol van Wagtendonk.