Morpho Towers
There's just something irresistible about random objects that get down to surrounding beats, and the Morpho Towers: Two Standing Spirals installation is quite the eye-catcher indeed. The pair of ferrofluid sculptures were designed to stand in a platter of ferrofluid and move "synthetically to music," which translates into a magnetic field being generated by sound and creating autonomous art. Subsequently, the towers react by attracting "spikes of ferrofluid" from the bottom-up, which can mold itself and transform into a variety of stunning shapes. The spikes themselves are designed to "rotate around the edge of the spiral cone, becoming large or small depending on the strength of the magnetic field," and by utilizing time series metadata ingrained in the music, the designers can create (and control) more dramatic scenes on the towers' sides.
A ferrofluid, (portmanteau of the Latin word ferrum, meaning iron, and the word fluid) is a liquid which becomes strongly polarised in the presence of a magnetic field.
Ferrofluids are colloidal mixtures composed of nanoscale ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic, particles suspended in a carrier fluid, usually an organic solvent or water. The ferromagnetic nanoparticles are coated with a surfactant to prevent their agglomeration (due to van der Waals forces and magnetic forces). Although the name may suggest otherwise, ferrofluids do not display ferromagnetism, since they do not retain magnetization in the absence of an externally applied field. In fact, ferrofluids display (bulk-scale) paramagnetism, and are often described as "superparamagnetic" due to their large magnetic susceptibility. Permanently magnetized fluids are difficult to create at present.
The difference between ferrofluids and magnetorheological fluids (MR fluids) is the size of the particles. The particles in a ferrofluid primarily consist of nanoparticles which are suspended by Brownian motion and generally will not settle under normal conditions. MR fluid particles primarily consist of micrometre-scale particles which are too heavy for Brownian motion to keep them suspended, and thus will settle over time due to the inherent density difference between the particle and its carrier fluid. These two fluids have very different applications as a result.
Ferrofluids are composed of nanoscale particles (diameter usually 10 nanometers or less) of magnetite, hematite or some other compound containing iron. This is small enough for thermal agitation to disperse them evenly within a carrier fluid, and for them to contribute to the overall magnetic response of the fluid. This is analogous to the way that the ions in an aqueous paramagnetic salt solution (such as an aqueous solution of copper(II) sulfate or manganese(II) chloride) make the solution paramagnetic.
Ferrofluids are tiny iron particles covered with a liquid coating, also surfactant that are then added to water or oil, which gives them their liquid properties. Ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions - materials with properties of more than one state of matter. In this case, the two states of matter are the solid metal and liquid it is in. This ability to change phases with the application of a magnetic field allows them to be used as seals, lubricants, and may open up further applications in future nanoelectromechanical systems.
True ferrofluids are stable. This means that the solid particles do not agglomerate or phase separate even in extremely strong magnetic fields. However, the surfactant tends to break down over time (a few years), and eventually the nano-particles will agglomerate, and they will separate out and no longer contribute to the fluid's magnetic response.
The term magnetorheological fluid (MRF) refers to liquids similar to ferrofluids (FF) that solidify in the presence of a magnetic field. Magnetorheological fluids have micrometre scale magnetic particles that are one to three orders of magnitude larger than those of ferrofluids.
However, ferrofluids lose their magnetic properties at sufficiently high temperatures, known as the Curie temperature. The specific temperature required varies depending on the specific compounds used for the nano-particles.
Normal-field instability
When a paramagnetic fluid is subjected to a sufficiently strong vertical magnetic field, the surface spontaneously forms a regular pattern of corrugations; this effect is known as the normal-field instability. The formation of the corrugations increases the surface free energy and the gravitational energy of the liquid, but reduces the magnetic energy. The corrugations will only form above a critical magnetic field strength, when the reduction in magnetic energy outweighs the increase in surface and gravitation energy terms. Ferrofluids have an exceptionally high magnetic susceptibility and the critical magnetic field for the onset of the corrugations can be realised by a small bar magnet.
Applications Of Ferrofluid
Electronic Devices
Ferrofluids are used to form liquid seals around the spinning drive shafts in hard disks. The rotating shaft is surrounded by magnets. A small amount of ferrofluid, placed in the gap between the magnet and the shaft, will be held in place by its attraction to the magnet. The fluid of magnetic particles forms a barrier which prevents debris from entering the interior of the hard drive. According to engineers at Ferrotec, ferrofluid seals on rotating shafts typically withstand 3 to 4 psi.
Mechanical engineering
Ferrofluids have friction-reducing capabilities. If applied to the surface of a strong enough magnet, such as one made of NdFeB(Neodymium magnet), it can cause the magnet to glide across smooth surfaces with minimal resistance.
Military
The United States Air Force introduced a radar absorbent material (RAM) paint made from both ferrofluidic and non-magnetic substances. By reducing the reflection of electromagnetic waves, this material helps to reduce the radar cross section of aircraft.
Aerospace
NASA has experimented using ferrofluids in a closed loop as the basis for a spacecraft's attitude control system. A magnetic field is applied to a loop of ferrofluid to change the angular momentum and influence the rotation of the spacecraft.
Analytical Instrumentation
Ferrofluids have numerous optical applications due to their refractive properties; that is, each grain, a micromagnet, reflects light. These applications include measuring specific viscosity of a liquid placed between a polarizer and an analyzer, illuminated by a helium-neon laser.
Medicine
In medicine, ferrofluids are used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and can be used for cancer detection. The ferrofluids are in this case composed of iron oxide nanoparticles and called SPION, for "Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles"
There is also much experimentation with the use of ferrofluids in an experimental cancer treatment called magnetic hyperthermia. It is based on the fact that a ferrofluid placed in an alternating magnetic field releases heat.
Heat transfer
An external magnetic field imposed on a ferrofluid with varying susceptibility (e.g., due to a temperature gradient) results in a nonuniform magnetic body force, which leads to a form of heat transfer called thermomagnetic convection. This form of heat transfer can be useful when conventional convection heat transfer is inadequate; e.g., in miniature microscale devices or under reduced gravity conditions.
Ferrofluids are commonly used in loudspeakers to remove heat from the voice coil, and to passively damp the movement of the cone. They reside in what would normally be the air gap around the voice coil, held in place by the speaker's magnet. Since ferrofluids are paramagnetic, they obey Curie's law, thus become less magnetic at higher temperatures. A strong magnet placed near the voice coil (which produces heat) will attract cold ferrofluid more than hot ferrofluid thus forcing the heated ferrofluid away from the electric voice coil and toward a heat sink. This is an efficient cooling method which requires no additional energy input.
Optics
Research is under way to create a shape-shifting magnetic mirror from ferrofluid for Earth based astronomical telescopes.
Art
Some art and science museums have special devices on display that use magnets to make ferrofluids move around specially shaped surfaces in a fountain show-like fashion to entertain guests. Sachiko Kodama is known for her ferrofluid art.
Sachiko Kodama
The Japanese female artist Sachiko Kodama was born in 1970. As a child she spent a lot of time in the southernmost part of Japan. This area is rich in tropical flowers and plants, edged by the sea, and washed with warm rain. Sachiko loved art and literature from an early age, but also had a strong interest in science. After Graduating Physics course in the Faculty of Science at Hokkaido University, In 1993, Sachiko matriculated in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Tsukuba, studying Plastic Art and Mixed Media. Then she completed Master's and Doctoral Program in Art and Design at the University of Tsukuba. She studied Computer and Holography Art in her doctoral research.
In 2000, Sachiko began work on a ferrofluid art project that she named "Protrude, Flow". The dynamic movement of liquids is the theme of this project. Kodama is currently an associate professor at University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo. Her work has been exhibited at Ars Electronica Center /Linz, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Wexner Center for the Arts/Columbus, Skirball Cultural Center /Los Angeles, Science Museum/ Tokyo, The National Art Center/Tokyo.
Awards:
The 5th Media Arts Festival, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Grand Prize (Digital Art Interactive Division)2001
The 16th Digital Content Grand Prix, Digital Content Association of Japan, Art Award, 2001
Japan Information-Culture Society, Art Award 2002
Sachiko Kodama Exhibition (Gallery Kobayashi, Tokyo) 1996
Sachiko Kodama “Breathing Chaos”(Telic Gallery, Los Angeles) 2004
Dynamic Fluid: Sachiko Kodama’s Magnetic Fluid Art Project (Science Museum, Tokyo) 2005
Sachiko Kodama "Morpho Tower" (Gallery Sakamaki, Tokyo) 2006
Invited Group Exhibitions (Selected)
CHAOS & CHANCE exhibit (Tokyo Electric Power Company's Plus Minus Gallery, Tokyo) 1996
The interaction'01: Dialogue with Expanded Images (Softpia Japan Center, Gifu Prefecture) 2001
program・seed (Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto), 2002
Cibervision'02 (Conde Duque Cultural Centre, Madrid) 2002
Mood River (Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus) 2002
Japan Media Arts Exhibition 2002 ? Fusion of Art, Technology and Entertainment?Organized by China International Culture Association, Japan Media Arts Exhibition 2002 Executive Committee, (Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing) 2002
Reimagination image/media/museum (Fukui Fine Arts Museum / Fukui Prefecture), 2002
Navigator -- Digital Art in the Making.(National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts), 2004
Time/Space, Gravity, and Light (Skirball Cultural Center / Los Angeles), 2004
DAF(Digital Art Festival) Tokyo (Panasonic Center / Tokyo), 2005
Meta Visual - 10 Anniversaire du Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (Centre des Arts d'Enghien-les-Bains / France), 2005
Device Art Exhibition (Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography / Tokyo), 2006
Electrical Fantasista exhibit (BankART Studio NYK / Yokohama), 2006
Woman's Perspective in New Media (Bitforms Gallery Seoul), 2006
The Power of Expression, Japan (National Art Center/ Tokyo) 2007
Message 2007 (Miyakonojo City Museum of Art/ Miyazaki Prefecture) 2007
Electronic Alive IV (Scarfone Gallery /Florida) 2007
This work is conceptualized as an “organic tower.” The magnetic fluid, with a smooth black surface that seems to draw you in, reaches the top of the tower, spreading like a fractal, defying gravity.
The form and texture of the physical surface of the tower constantly alter between the hard iron core and the changing form of soft fluid. This is a dynamic sculpture, with reactable fluid surface.
Interview with Sachiko Kodama
by Jasmine Greene
The ferrofluid materials you used for your "morph tower" installation are generally used for commercial applications. Why did you decide to use this material for your installation?
I was just struck by the beauty of the ferrofluids, especially by their moving spikes.
Spikes symbolize "life" and "growth", and can sometimes also symbolize "violence". I was just very drawn to the paradoxical beauty and ugliness of the ferrofluids; in other words, I was struck by their ambiguity.
Your "morph tower" displays very complicated and elaborate designs created by a computer program. How did you program this sequence and what made you choose those particular designs?
My first "Morpho Tower" was not complicated. I created the program myself; the fluid simply moves according to the environmental sound level. If a person looks toward the "Morpho Tower" and talks in a loud voice, very big spikes appear quickly. But, soon, I felt like I wanted to introduce some kinds of "rhythm" (beat or breathing) characteristic of animals. So, I began collaborating with Yasushi Miyajima, as he knew of a special technique involving the use of digital music metadata, wherein music could be used to create "rhythm" and emotion-like movement of the ferrofluids.
Your tower series has interested both the art and science community. What is your background in science and what led you to combine these two paths?
Well, I studied physics at Hokkaido University (after that, I got a Ph.D. in art). But as a child, I loved to create just about anything. I loved drawing pictures, making three dimensional kites, playing with coils and motors, growing plants?anything that involved creating something. I also enjoyed playing musical instruments and reading and writing. Mathematics was my favorite subject. Now, I thoroughly enjoy playing with my 5-year-old son. I am not willing to combine just only the art and science community, but also I am willing to combine ?everything? to be a human being. And it seems to me that art is the only way to combine everything in this modern society.
What is the significance of the project title Protrude, Flow?
These words are verbs. Not nouns. I wanted to convey and portray dynamic energy; flowing, metamorphosing texture; and shapelessness. Also, I did not consciously choose "ferrofluids" for my project; the significance of the project is not in the material used: any material could have been used to give form to this idea.
Much of your work deals with motion and fluidity; would you say that's a common theme among your art pieces? What messages are you trying to convey to the audience, especially in the seven questions piece?
Motion and fluidity is one of my themes, because it penetrates our mind deeply. The movement of liquids and texture brings to mind something that is living. In the "Seven Question" piece, people imagine something when they see the ferrofluid movement in the sink and when they hear the voice from the mirror asking questions. What they imagine is a projection of people's minds. Here, ferrofluids will take different meanings, depending on each person's imagination.
What would you say inspires you in your artwork?
I always ask, "What is life?" or "D'oú venons nous?"
My short movie "Breathing Chaos" (8 min, 11 sec) is a small attempt to answer this question.
Where can we see permanent exhibits of your artwork?
In the United States, the Samuel Freeman Gallery in Santa Monica has a small "Morpho Tower" piece; I think that if you want to see it, you need to ask the authorities, and they will show it to you. Also, gallery Sakamaki in Tokyo has some of my small pieces.
There is a very large piece of the "Protrude Flow 2008" in Madrid, which is where I created this work for the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) when I stayed there last year. The museum has the piece, but it is not currently on display (it may be in the storehouse).
A children?s museum in Okinawa prefecture in Japan has the "Equivalent Point" (They call this work "Nagareru Toge Toge" (meaning "moving Spikes" in Japanese), as it is easier for children to understand.) This piece is a permanent exhibit.
The Miyakonojo City Museum of Art in Japan has a piece called "Pulsate", which is also a permanent piece.
I am now creating a permanent exhibit for the National Science and Technology Museum in Taiwan. Although the museum is a science museum, I was asked to create a piece of artwork. This is because my art is probably seen as a kind of a gateway linking the worlds of art and science.
If you are interested in learning more about Sachiko Kodama there is a great exhibition catalog published by the MNCARS (Maquinas & Almas). There is also a recent book called "Digital by Design" which includes photographs and some literature on her work. Pieces is grateful to Ms. Kodama for taking time out of her schedule for this interview.
All photos courtesy of Sachiko Kodama
Dynamic Ferrofluid Sculpture: Organic Shape-changing Art Forms
by Sachiko Kodama
From ancient times, standing sculptures in Japan and elsewhere were made of materials such as clay, stones, wood, or metals. Materials were formed, modeled, modified, cut, and reshaped using processes appropriate for them, and the forms and textures of sculptures made from the materials did not change except by abrasion or surface corrosion. The invention of photography changed this world of unchanging art. Modern materials and electric and machine technology came to be used in art works and inspired kinetic art such as that by Naum Gabo and László Moholy-Nagy was created. Since then, numerous artists, designers, and architects have created moving, kinetic works. Since the introduction of the computer, e.g., in cybernetic art proposed by Nicolas Shöffer, a number of art works have been produced by processing external information from the environment or living beings through physical devices. However, it can be stated that there has been little work on expression through flexible changes of the surface texture controlled by a computer.
My project’s goal is to create organic shape-changing art forms and figures whose three-dimensional form, surface structure, and color change dynamically and lively as if to reflect echoes of environmental music, light, and human communication. To create such three-dimensional organic forms and surfaces, in 2000, I started using ferrofluid in my interactive art project named “Protrude, Flow.”
Ferrofluids, the shape-changing material used in my works, were invented in the late 1960s in the Apollo Program of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and are known to be used for forming liquid seals and in electronic devices for computers, AV equipments, and other industrial applications. Recently they have been employed in medicine research.
Basically, ferrofluids appear as a black fluid. They are prepared by dissolving nanoscale ferromagnetic particles in a solvent such as water or oil and remain strongly magnetic even in a fluid condition. Therefore, they are more flexibly transformable as compared to iron sand. It is well known that ferrofluids form spikes along magnetic field lines when the magnetic surface force exceeds the stabilizing effects of the fluid weight and surface tension [1]. In my work, organic shapes are produced by these spikes under a magnetic field that is controlled by electromagnets. Sensing technology and computers are used to make the fluid change its shape according to environmental information. The transformation of the shape and rhythm of the movement is an important aspect of the work.
My first project “Protrude, Flow” (Fig.1) used six electromagnets. In this work, the electromagnets sometimes prevented people from viewing the moving liquid. To solve this problem and to simplify the work, I discovered a new technique called “Ferrofluid Sculpture.” This technique enables artists to create more dynamic sculptures with fluid materials. One electromagnet is used, with an extended iron core that is sculpted into a particular shape. The ferrofluid covers the sculpted surface of the three-dimensional iron shape. The movement of the spikes in the fluid is controlled dynamically on the surface by adjusting the power of the electromagnet.
The “Morpho Tower” series in 2006 was my first realization of a “ferrofluid sculpture.” Figure 2 shows the spiral tower covered with numerous ferrofluid spikes. A spiral tower stands on a plate that holds the ferrofluid. When the magnetic field around the tower is strengthened, spikes of ferrofluid are generated in the bottom plate and they move upward, trembling and rotating around the edge of the iron spiral.
The movement of the spikes in the fluid is controlled on the surface by adjusting the power of the electromagnet. The shape of the iron body is designed to be helical so that the fluid can move to the top of the helical tower when the magnetic field is sufficiently strong.
The surface of the tower responds dynamically to its magnetic environment. When there is no magnetic field, the tower appears to have a simple spiral shape. But when the magnetic field around the tower is strengthened, spikes are generated in the ferrofluid; simultaneously, the tower’s surface dynamically changes into a variety of textures — a soft fluid, a minute moss, spiky shark’s teeth, or a hard iron surface. The ferrofluid, with its smooth, black surface that seems to attract people reaches all the way to the top of the tower, spreading like a fractal and defying gravity.
The spikes of the ferrofluid are made to rotate around the edge of the spiral cone, where they increase or decrease in size depending on the strength of the magnetic field. Using a computer, the transformation and movement of the shape can be controlled along with its speed and rhythm. The speed of rotation can be controlled without motors or shaft mechanisms, so that it works calmly; simply controlled by gravity and a magnetic field
The inspiration for my artwork comes from life and nature. The organic forms and the geometry and symmetry observed in plants and animals are important inspirational factors when considering kinetic or shape-changing and potentially interactive art forms. The manner of movement of animals and other natural materials is also important. Rhythms of breathing in living things are an excellent metaphor for a texture that dynamically changes according to time. One of my eventual goals is to apply these elements in computer display design as well.
The continuously changing weather conditions of the earth are also important motifs. The motifs for the work “Morpho Towers: Two standing spirals,” which I created in collaboration with Yasushi Miyajima (Sony CSL), were ocean, tornadoes, and lightning (see Fig. 3). Here, a black tornado elegantly dances in sync with music. In Japan, we have the concept of comparison. Mimicking natural phenomena (“mitate” in Japanese) is a method that works well when trying to understand how natural shapes occur [4]. It permits the comparison of ferrofluid forms to creatures such as sea urchins and jelly fishes or to a “tornado”. Thus, it creates high-tech versions of the Japanese “Hakoniwa,” boxes with small models of things and landscapes taken from real life settings.
When regarded as a “ferrofluid display”, my sculptures exhibit principles of Organic User Interface design. First, their form follows the flow: the entire shape of the ferrofluid display emerges naturally under the balance of physical forces. Next, their output may serve as an imput. While ferrofluid displays currently primarily serve as an output device, the electromagnet can be used directly as a sensor, allowing the introduction of feedback loops and interactivity in the artworks.
However, what function would be conceivable for such ferrofluid display? Perhaps the focus should be on the entertainment or aesthetic aspects of interactive ferrofluid materials (e.g., applied to carpets or walls), especially if color representation can be realized on their surface. If we consider the sense of touch and the elasticity of the ferrofluid, more practical uses of the ferrofluid display might be found. Now is a time of unprecedented advances in materials science. It is a great time to experiment with various materials for constructing organic figures in the creation of interactive art. Such figures are created along a timeline and provide new meanings and new ways of communication. The fusion of information technology and material technology will develop even more in the future, making it possible for them to eventually transform flexibly, like the interactive 3D surfaces shown in the futuristic movie X-men.
Bits may be transformed into reconfigurable textures and the concept of “bit-texture” may be realized. Even artificial intelligence may be applied to such substances. Is it possible to imagine that we have a third skin on the surface of our own body and on tools, furniture, houses or other products, a skin that senses information from the environment and its inhabitants, and that responds by morphing according to its required function. If this becomes reality, computers that mimic natural forms may offer a more calm, relaxing and comfortable user experience.
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