Size : 60cm x 60cm x 40cm (H)
Material : Rockite, Blue foam, 13500lines/inch diffraction grating sheet
Course: 4.323 Intro to Three-Dimensional ArtMaterials & Fabrication / MIT Art, Culture and Technology / Fall 2021
Background
Nano artworks are a new form of art that conveys an artistic message by conveying the mystery of the microscopic world. This message serves as a bridgehead between nano science and society and a medium to inform the public about the nano world. At the same time, nano art borrows a form of art to express scientific and technological progress with intense visual information.
Yet, nano art sometimes can be observed only by using scientific tools and instruments. How can nanotechnology overcome the issue of scalability and create a visual impact through art? Would there be any way nanotechnology can reach people more easily through human-scale artwork?
Shimmering Concrete
Concrete is an essential material in architecture, crafting, and design. The look of its rigid texture and its monotonous color gives a modern image, but on the contrary, it also gives a look of dullness. The project, Shimmering Concrete is about exploring the novelty of concrete texture and how to extend the scope of concrete use in the art and architecture world. Interestingly, the experiments were not assisted by any complex nanotechnology equipment.
Shimmering Concrete is produced with ready-made nano-structures that can be found in our everyday lives, such as compact discs(CD). Such an approach to nanotechnology allows for a more accessible and simple way of connecting nanotechnology to art. In this project, 13,500lines/inch diffraction grating sheets directly impacted the success of making concrete shimmer when light is projected at a proper angle.
Special thanks to Vijay Rajkumar (MIT M.Arch) who shared insights from his glowing concrete research in the beginning of the project. 