Designed to evoke a sense of change and renewal, butterflies form the foundation of our installation to symbolize the transformation of life and the resilience of living beings. The only constant in the world is change, and the butterfly embodies this in the most elegant way as it moves from its larvae form to its caterpillar stage to its ultimate, beautiful, winged form. This concept of change is not contained simply within. In chaos theory, the “butterfly effect” suggests that one small action like a flap of a butterfly’s wing in one part of the world can lead to extreme wind in another part of the world weeks later. This epitomizes the goal of our installation: while spectators enjoy the intricacies of our window display, we aim to inspire a positive change in the visitor – a feeling of joy, a smile.

With change comes the promise of something new, a renewal. The installation embodies this concept as each butterfly is handcrafted from reclaimed wood pieces. The combination of local and exotic wood elevates the beauty of the material’s natural grain and color. The butterflies hang from near-invisible fishing lines to appear as though they are floating. Reflective surfaces create repetition, amplifying the presence of the butterflies. In doing so, they also increase the likelihood that visitors will see each other and share a smile. The exchange of smiles creates a momentary sense of connection, something that is much more powerful than the installation itself – the embodiment of the “butterfly effect.”