The Faux Shaux

A year or two ago, I watched a video stream in which someone puts salt in a Ziploc bag and shakes the contents.  The salt started spiralling and bonding with itself, I want to say even floating.  I tried iodide salt, kosher salt, sea salt, with air, without, but to no avail.  I sifted through email, youtube and all the avenues by which I might find it’s link.  Three hours later, no floating salt, but a few videos caught my attention.  “Non-Newtonian” Fluid (it’s friggin’ cornstarch + water) and Ferrofluid.

I want to create some sort of intuitive interaction between user and something very graceful with an organic appearance.  I want to stimulate curiosity with the natural world that many forget when living in an environment almost entirely fabricated.

Here are two examples by Sachiko Kodama and Martin Frey of great manipulation of Ferrofluid.

I imagine something similar to Sachiko’s use, where I build a nice 3D shape embedded with electromagnets.  Multiple ultrasound sensors or the use of a webcam would map hand movements, that would control the voltage sent to the electromagnets, thereby creating intuitive results.

Obviously, it would not look as nice as Sachiko’s piece, but it would be interactive, whereas her piece is a simple pot to ramp up/down the magnetism.  I know the oil stains, she uses Teflon-coated metal – probably so it’s easy to clean, since it still stains.