In pictures: Artist Mat Collishaw's 'Equinox' is a serene lotus flower at Expo 2020 Dubai

At the heart of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is a space called the Inner Core - this is where you will get to marvel at a giant lotus sculpture seemingly teeming with insects from a 360-degree deck. Equinox is a permanent 3D zoetrope (an early form of sequence animation) created by UK artist Mat Collishaw and curated by Futurecity to encourage dialogue across languages and cultures around the theme of ‘Sustainability’ as an innovative and inspiring marker for sustainable living.

The Equinox artwork is an optical illusion that considers the delicate calibration of the earth’s eco-system. Spinning on an axis, a giant lotus flower hosts an orbit of insects. The indigenous species of insects include butterfly (Poloymattus icarus zelleri), scorpion, dung beetle, praying mantis, dragon fly, bee, caterpillar and spider. As the flower rotates, its petals act as ‘shutters’, animating the arthropods within. The bugs appear to dance in harmony as they clamber, flutter, eat and pollinate. The Lotus Lily functions as a sacred chalice conserving insect ecology, their enhanced scale underscoring the cataclysm that would follow their decline.

In daylight the flower will be in a closed position with the insects animated through the breaks between each petal. Under rotation the animation will be read looking up between these openings towards the central stamens of the flower. In the evening, the natural light levels will be reduced, allowing the work to function as a strobe Zoetrope, when the flower will be lowered and opened for the visitors to then look down into the sculpture.

The artwork will be transformative and elemental, inspiring visitors and the next generation of thinkers and doers. As the heartbeat of the pavilion, it will act as a symbol of a regenerative future, and the climax to the narrative arc of the journey in the pavilion has been showcasing - that we must urgently change our relationship with the natural world if we are to realise an exciting and thriving future.

To accompany the work, Collishaw has selected poems that praise the sanctity of nature by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and English poet William Blake. The text of the poems run along the wall in a loop as seen from a glass viewing balcony.

The term equinox relates to the perfect balance between day and night. The artwork aspires to achieve a similar balance by offering two different magical experiences to the viewer during the day and night, echoing the delicate balance and equilibrium that exists in nature. The petals and characters have been created using the latest technologies in 3D printing, 7 axis CNC milling and casting processes.

The narratives within the Terra courtyard and the Outer Core are ones of wonder, disruption and ultimately hope. Visitors are encouraged to embark on both a physical and spiritual journey through different thematic zones where they are asked to participate and reflect on the relationship between man and nature through a series of playful installations, interactive games and immersive multimedia content.

The final moment before the visitor is guided into the Inner Core reveals the potential we have for regeneration - visitors are presented a vision of a hopeful and positive future that is built upon the interdependence of humanity and nature. With this high intensity experience and wealth of information to absorb, the Inner Core Artwork Commission has an essential role in offering a space for respite and calm.