Sachiko Kodama
http://www.kodama.hc.uec.ac.jp/

The Ars Electronica Center exhibited “Protrude, Flow,” a work by Sachiko Kodama and Minako Takeno, from 2003 to 2006. Further development of its basic idea led to the “Morpho Tower” series.

Both works employ ferrofluid. This consists of a liquid medium in which a few nanometer-size magnetic particles are suspended, so that the fluid reacts to a magnetic field.

The spiral enwraps an electromagnet with an enlarged iron core. The strength of the electromagnet determines the movement of the ferrofluid. The fluid can move along the spiral form all the way to its pinnacle—seemingly defying gravity.

The spiral is considered a widespread element in art, a shape present in Sandro Botticelli’s “Primavera,” the landscapes of Vincent Van Gogh, Robert Smithson’s Land Art and the sculptures of Richard Serra. Sachiko Kodama takes up this historical tradition and, in the form of “Morpho Tower”, translates it into contemporary media art.