Week 8: Nanotechnology and art

This week’s discussion in on nanotechnology and art. Nanotechnology is the realm where materials have dimensions of 100 nanometers or less. It creates another form of art to view objects in an “invisible” scale. The week’s materials that interest me the most is the artwork Nano-Scape.

The Nano-scape, electromagnetic tangible interface is created by Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau in 2002. This Nano-scale sculpture is invisible, just like the Nano-world it comments about. While science and media try to capture images of these tiniest of particles to understand their properties, Nano-Scape tries to make this Nano-world intuitively accessible through touch.

A wireless magnetic force-feedback interface allows users to touch invisible Nano particles, creating an every changing invisible sculpture which modifies its shape and properties as users interact with it and with each other.

Users wear magnetic ring interfaces that are made of strong permanent magnets. When users move their hands over the tables of the installation, strong magnetic forces, repulsion, attraction and even slight shock can be felt. As users try to comprehend the structure of this invisible sculpture through touch, its shape changes and varies, as a direct result of the users´ hand positions and frequency of movements. 

I find the artwork very interesting as it makes use of the very basic interaction between magnet force and movement to create an understanding of the Nano-scaled world. The novel interface technology creates a new type of interaction experience where users feel strong, yet invisible attractions and repulsions as results of their own interactions.

In conclusion, I find this week’s discussion very interesting and I look forward to know more about artworks involving nanotechnology.

Reference:

“Art in the Age of Nanotechnology.” Artabase. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. <http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm>.

“When Nanotechnology Meets Art”. Science and Religion.com. n.p., 20 Apr 2011. Web. 22 Nov 2012.

Ostman, Charles. “Aesthetic Exploration in the ‘Virtual Nature’ of Synthetic Environments and Artificial Ecologies”. Nanotechnology Now. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov 2012.

“What Is Nanotechnology?” What Is Nanotechnology? N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. <http://crnano.org/whatis.htm>.