In conjunction with Lincoln Center's annual Mostly Mozart festival, Australian video installation artist Lynette Wallworth is making her New York debut with two rather astonishing interactive artworks. Brian Bennett and I went to the opening reception with open minds and no idea what to expect, and we found ourselves completely engaged; experiencing these pieces has a focusing and calming effect, and it's just simply very beautiful.

We spoke for a short time with Wallworth; understandably, she's not too keen on focusing on the tech behind the works! She'd rather you experience it. Suffice to say she uses IR sensors, high-quality projectors, and a Macbook to achieve her remarkable effects.

If you're in the neighborhood, we highly recommend you stop by and experience these works for yourself. More on each piece, after the jump.

To experience Hold: Vessel I and 2, you're handed a translucent white bowl before entering a dark room with several bright beams shining down from the ceiling. You hold your bowl beneath the beams to "capture" the projected imagery, which is gleaned from visioning technology that records changes in marine environments as well as video of astronomical events (my photo doesn't do the imagery and colors justice, but it gives you an idea). As Wallworth said, bringing the tactile experience into the art seems to engender a strong, meditative focus.

Invisible by Night is moving and quite eerie. Wallworth explained that it was inspired by a woman she met on the tram who had just lost her husband and seemed to have no outlet to express and experience her grief. At the end of a dark passageway is what appears to be a large window. As you approach the glass, you see an indistinct figure: It's a woman pacing toward and away from the glass. When you touch it, she comes closer to you and slowly begins to wipe the "condensation" away; the patterns her hand makes change each time this happens.