odeling physical material more freely and making it move more flexibly is a dream long sought after by human beings, and many artists have created surreal illusions in pictures or moving images. But those were imaginary. Can we obtain a real object that transforms as we designed it? In 2000, Sachiko Kodama (児玉幸子) began to work on a ferrofluid art project that she named “Protrude, Flow”. Ferrofluid is a very interesting material originally developed by NASA; it has been used for a whole range of devices including dampers for controlling and stabilizing large buildings. This magnetic liquid behaves quite unlike most liquids we are used to, and is an elegant and eye-catching prop. The dynamic movement of liquids is the theme of this project: ‘The aim of The Art and Science of Ferrofluid is to create dynamic art forms and figures whose shape, surface structure, and color change dynamically, reflecting the echoes of environmental music, light, and human communication. ‘Ferrofluids appear as black fluid and are made by dissolving nanoscale ferromagnetic particles in a solvent such as water or oil. They remain strongly magnetic even in a fluid condition which makes them more flexible than iron sand.’ Therefore, it is more flexibly transformable than iron sand and so it is possible to create more complicated three-dimensional organic patterns. That appear occasionally as pointed mountains or pliable organic shapes, sometimes as flowing particle streams. ‘Ferrofluids form spikes along magnetic field lines when the magnetic surface force exceeds the stabilizing effects of the fluid weight and surface tension. In my work, the spikes under the magnetic field produce organic forms. Sensory technology and computers are used to transform the shape of the fluid according to environmental information. This transformation is an important aspect of the work.’ ‘An important source of inspiration, when considering the kinetic and potentially interactive art forms, are the organic forms and the geometry and symmetry observed in plants and animals.The breathing rhythm in living things is an excellent metaphor for a texture that dynamically changes according to time. The continuously changing weather conditions of the Earth are also important motifs.’ The Japanese concept of mitate, relating to mimicking natural phenomena, is a useful method in trying to understand the occurrence of natural shapes.’ ‘It permits the comparison of ferrofluid forms to creatures such as sea urchins and jelly fish or to a tornado. The result is a high-tech version of the Japanese “Hakoniwa,” boxes containing small models of objects and landscapes taken from real life.’
The Japanese 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. 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, The National Art Center/Tokyo, Reina Sofia National Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
