installation Archives - Page 2 of 2

Rotifer (a)live

Through live footage, scientific tools and hand-drawn illustrations, this immersive installation offers a unique insight into the extraordinary biology of rotifers and the cutting-edge research they inspire — from evolutionary puzzles to space science.

Rotifers are fascinating multicellular animals evolving on Earth for more than sixty million years. Though smaller than a millimeter, they represent a scandal in evolutionary biology: asexual females clone themselves without any intervention of males.

Moreover, these small organisms are extremely stress tolerant. They can resist to various stresses such as desiccation, radiation and freezing. Recently, scientists were able to revive rotifers that had been slumbering in the Arctic permafrost for 24,000 years. These microscopic superwomen raise challenging and inspiring questions for science.

Rotifer (a)live provides insight into the fascinating experiments and findings that researchers conduct on this matter on a daily basis. Shaped as an oversized scientific set-up, this installation takes the visitor on a journey into the world of research labs. Displayed in a retro futuristic arrangement, Rotifer (a)live combines scientific instruments and artworks. Omnipresent in this lab-like organized mess, the green leaf color provides a visual contrast that echoes the rotifers’ favorite food: salad juice.

This installation also shows the high-tech aerospace modules that transported rotifers back and forth to the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the Rotifer In SpacE (RISE), which studies rotifers to develop new models in space research. In addition to colorful microscopic photographs, lab pipettes, hand-drawn illustrations and Erlenmeyer flasks, this set–up mainly contains the rotifers themselves. So feel free to take a look at the microscope and projected lab footage to see live how rotifers come alive, how they behave, how they evolve.

Ohme & Aiko Design in collaboration with Karine Van Doninck and her research team (ULB/UNamur) – BE

Rotifer (a)live, 2022
Installation, wood, acrylic glass, tulle fabrics, diverse materials.
Projection, video, microscopy, rhodoid & paper prints, 3D print, laboratory glassware & equipment.

CREDITS:

Installation: Aiko Design, Ohme, Karine Van Doninck of ULB/UNamur
Microscopic footage: Live filmed alive rotifers (monitor), Video recordings by Boris Hespeels (projection), Video edition & effects by Raoul Sommeillier
Rotifer hand-drawn illustration: Ophélie Lhuire
Microscopic photography & scanning electron micrographs: Irina Arkhipova, Diego Fontaneto, Boris Hespeels
3D conception & design: Thomas Raa, Alizée Rubino, Raoul Sommeillier
3D printed rotifer: Patricia Van Doninck of Jaspers-Eyers Architects
Project coordination: Raoul Sommeillier, Karine Van Doninck
With the help of: Emilie Berns, Jérémy Berthe, François Bronchart, Laurent Grumiau, Boris Hespeels, Léa Mellini, Scientists of Molecular Biology & Evolution (MBE) research unit at ULB

Scientific publications:
– Donner, J., 1965. Ordnung Bdelloidea (Rotatoria, Rädertiere). Akademie Verlag: 297 pp
– Simion, P. et al., 2021. Chromosome-level genome assembly reveals homologous chromosomes and recombination 586 in asexual rotifer Adineta vaga. Science Advances 7

With the support of: Innoviris, Jaspers-Eyers Architects, Kikk, La Pavillon de Namur, Inforsciences, Université de Namur (UNamur), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Presented at:
Manned Flight – Rotifers in Action, Pilar in Brussels, from 12 April to 12 June 2022
Biotopia, le pavillon in Namur, from 18 June to 27 November 2022

PRESS:

Expo ‘Manned Flight – Rotifers in Action’ combineert kunst én wetenschap // BRUZZ // 20.04.2022

Tales of Entropy

Tales of Entropy with Roméo Poirier is an audiovisual performance based on generative music production, polarised light microscopy and image analysis. This show merges analog and digital creation tools, proposing a sensitive exploration of the structures of organic matter, under the prism of bold musical expressionism.

A microscope on stage visualises a series of laboratory samples and takes the audience for a stroll in an hypnotic visual landscape, exploring different states of matter. As the temperature of the different samples change in a thermal oven, the matter transforms and passes from liquid, to liquid crystal, to crystal, displaying striking colour patterns under polarised light. This live scientific experiment is recorded by an HD camera and choreographies of colourful structures are projected on stage, creating visuals with a powerful abstract narration

The use of image analysis tools allows us to extract different data from the microscope feed (colours, textures, motions) and transform them into meaningful signals, which are sent to Roméo Poirier and used on the go to produce generative music.

Roméo Poirier works in an hybrid analogue and digital music production environment, choosing the depth of the impact of the signals on different musical tools, thus creating a personal musical interpretation of the transformations of matter as they happen. The music of the performance aims at reflecting the contrasts and the textures of the different samples, oscillating between atmospheric landscapes, broken vocal samples, warm ambient cocoons and thunderstorms.

Production of the visuals

Nicolas Klimis, Ohme

Tales of Entropy uses a polarised light microscope and a UHD camera combined with a thermal oven to follow the emergence of crystals and to control phase transitions and liquid crystal orientations in a creative way. The image comes from a physical area of the samples of only 1 mm length.

This leads to dynamic scientific visuals, which are not coded on a computer, but are evolving, analogue live images of organic compounds under thermodynamic transitions.

Due to the physics of the system, theses moving images vary from one performance to the other creating each time unique patterns, that are partially deterministic and partially stochastic.

Different molecules in the performance

Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry (ULB)
Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (ULB)
Liquid Crystals and Photonics Group (UGent)

Thanks to a close collaboration with different units of research in Belgium, we have access to a rich series of organic compounds presenting different crystal and liquid crystal phases, presenting different colours and patterns under polarised light. This allows to produce a large diversity of visual abstractions and powerful transformations.

We work with 5 different samples that have very different behaviours upon heating and cooling, and whose features are reflected in the dramaturgy of the generative music produced.

In parts of the performance, the sample is connected to electrodes that are directly connected to the modular synth of Roméo Poirier allowing very reactive liquid crystal orientations.

The performance is then logically divided in different chapters presenting different abstract languages in connection with the music.

Image Analysis

François Bronchart, Ohme

The use of image analysis tools allows us to process the data from the microscope video stream and transforms it into meaningful signals.

Different algorithms (shape and event detection, fourier transform, statistical analysis, etc.) allow us to extract data on colours, textures, motion or the presence and position of certain patterns happening live inside the thermal oven.

The signals are then sent via an OSC protocol to Roméo Poirier and are used for the generative production of the music.

photo © Illias Teirlinck

Generative Music Production

Roméo Poirier

Roméo Poirier works in an hybrid analog and digital music production environment, choosing the depth of the impact of the signals on different musical tools, thus creating a personal musical interpretation of the transformations of matter as they happen.

The music of performance aims at reflecting the contrasts and the textures of the different samples, oscillating between atmospheric landscapes, heavily processed vocal samples, warm orchestral fragments, thunderstorms and passing shadows of dissonance.

The artistic intention is providing a counterpoint with the sound from the images, while being dictated by them, elaborating a parallel narration.

His set-up is made of an analog modular system and a computer processing multifarious digital signals.

photo ©️ Tim Oosterlynck

Tales of Entropy – photographic series

Tales of Entropy is an ongoing project that has been presented in live AV show with different musicians and composers, such as LB Marszalek (fka Juanita), Boho Strings, La Reine Seule, and Romeo Poirier.

Credits:

Conception and realisation: Guillaume Schweicher, Nicolas Klimis

Computer vision: François Bronchart

Music : First iteration, Juanita | Second iteration, Boho Strings | Third iteration, La Reine Seule | Fourth iteration, Romeo Poirier

Special Thanks to Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry (ULB) – Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (ULB) – Liquid Crystals and Photonics Group (UGent)

Presentations:

First iteration: Pilar ASAP – OHME Unframed: Fluidity Edition | 23 October 2020

Second iteration: La Vallée, Brussels | 15th May 2021

Third iteration: I Love Science Festival, Brussels | 16 – 17 October 2021 • Museum Night Fever, Halles St Géry, Brussels | 23 October 2021 • Atelier 210, Brussels | 23 November 2023

With the support of Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles and Région Bruxelles-Capitale – Innoviris

Sine

Sine is an interactive audiovisual lecture-performance illustrating, from the point of view of the physicist and the musician, the way in which electronic music producers envision sound and compose music.
Starting from a simple sine, the lecture performance elaborates on sound physics, synthesis and electronic music production. Four members of the public, randomly picked, are invited on stage to interact and play along during the whole performance.

Sine articulates in three main parts. In the first part, starting from a simple sine wave, we explain step by step how we could sum these waves, filter them, manipulate them in order to achieve the 3 main sounds used in the composition of electronic music: kick, the snare and hi-hat. The explanations are carried out step by step, and each time are illustrated by examples where the public can take control of a sound parameter to illustrate its properties in the genesis of sound.

Once the different sounds and basic effects are illustrated and presented, the show enters a more musical phase, culminating in a guitar hero style game leading to final composition during which the public has the opportunity to apply effects and create music together.

Sine is a creation by François Gaspard, engineer and musician, and Boris Wilmot, motion graphic designer and digital artist.

Concept: François Gaspard & Boris Wilmot
Visuals: Boris Wilmot
Music: François Gaspard
Educational content: François Gaspard
Controller design and production: Shakmat & Aiko Design
Lighting design: KMCréations
Consultant in writing and directing: David Scarpuzza

AGENDA:

Follow Sine on Facebook.

Check out the live tracks composed by participants during previous events on Youtube.

Produced by Ohme with the support of Innoviris, Féderation Wallonie-Bruxelles, Bozar Lab and Pilar.

Abscisse

This responsive installation produces holographic visuals from information captured on a member of the public using an electroencephalogram.

Abscisse is an installation by the artist duo Bots Conspiracy. It allows to illustrate alpha rhythms and brain synchronisation as the participant enters a state of calm and meditation.

Our brain is subject to a constant electrical activity, coming from the thousands of neurons that compose it. The activation of each neuron generates a localised individual electrical potential. When they operate in sync, the sum of these potentials causes a measurable electrical potential on the surface of the skull, which can be measured through electrodes. This is what we call electroencephalography (EEG).

When performing a task, an exercise, or even when sleeping, the neuronal population tends to synchronise, which means they generate an electrical activity at certain frequencies. On the EEG, this results in a cyclic signal that then represents our brain rhythms, commonly called brain waves.

These brain waves are each characterised by their own frequency band, corresponding to different levels of awakening, sleep and activity. These are named after Greek letters: alpha waves, beta, gamma, … Abscisse highlights the alpha cerebral rhythms (located between 8.5 Hz and 12 Hz), which characterise a state of appeased consciousness, and which are namely generated when you close your eyes.

Here, the synchronisation of a population of neurons is artistically represented when alpha pulses are detected on the participant using an electroencephalogram. In order to favour the appearance of these rhythms, the subject is invited to close the eyes and to slowly dive into a state of meditation.

Credits:
Conception and realisation: Bots Conspiracy
Scientific direction: Charline Urbain, Neuroscientist, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, ULB
Scientific mediation: Anna Peiffer, PhD Candidate, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, ULB

Co-produced by Les Garages Numériques

Presentations:
Le Printemps Numérique Bruxelles 2019
Les Garages Numériques Festival 2019
Maker Faire Bruxelles 2019