particles

Towards Matter, Particularly

Can we find ways beyond science to relate to the vibrant matter that we and our worlds are made from? Subatomic particles, building blocks of matter, are hidden from our senses but revealed through scientific instruments. Particle physicists use these to rationalize the mysteries of matter's foundations. But isn't there more to the human experience than the scientific stories can tell? In this installation, scientific instruments are repurposed to bring to our sensual awareness the ever-present particles whirling with us. Here, the particles determine how and when they reveal themselves, eliciting moments of light and sound. The installation invites new relationships with the matter that is us and our worlds.

We let go of control as we hand it over to the particles. They determine when and how they reveal themselves to us. Subatomic particles that happen to pass through the installation space become visible inside a cloud chamber. And the apparatus is controlled by such particles as well. When they collide with Geiger tubes which are placed in the vicinity, they elicit moments of light and sound. These collisions control the light in the cloud chamber, affecting the visibility as well as the perspective from which the particles reveal themselves to us.

This project is the result of an artistic research into the CERN laboratories in Switzerland and France. As a laboratory of particle physics, it is a site of human engagement with the foundations of matter. During a research journey through the fascinating facilities between the Jura Mountains and the Lake Geneva a question arose: Why are we only engaging with these microscopic worlds through science? Isn't there more to the human experience than scientific understanding? What if the power dynamics are inversed? Instead of accelerating and colliding particles we let them reveal themselves to us? Can an encounter with the mesmerizing particle traces inside a cloud chamber renew an appreciaton for the matter we and everything we know is made of?

"Towards Matter, Particularly" is the graduation project of Piet Schmidt in the MA Contextual Design program at Design Academy Eindhoven. The Installation is exhibited during the Dutch Design Week 2024 as part of the Graduation Show of DAE.

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A particle trace is appearing inside of the cloud chamber. This one seemed to have bounced off of another particle and changed direction.

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The Particle Visualizer is the central object of the installation. The cloud chamber on its top is illuminated by a rotating lightsource. Inside the Cloud Chamber the traces of ionizing particles that happen to travel through the chamber become visible. The signals from the Particle Collectors switch the light on and off and rotate the direction of the light.

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This particle collector detects particles with a Geiger tube on its top and sends a signal to the Particle Visualizer. When a particle is detected the string of light is flashing up and we hear the sound of an electric arc. This sound is elicited by a piece of woven copper wires, an artefact that has been discarded at CERN and repurposed in this installation.

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This particle collector is working in the same way as the other one. But here, we hear the sound of metal colliding with each other. A solenoid is hitting a machine component made of brass, an artefact that has been discarded at CERN and repurposed in this installation.

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