Science and Art of Sculpturing Fluids

Author(s): J.-M. Chomaz

Source: Leonardo , 2014, Vol. 47, No. 1 (2014), pp. 66-67
Published by: The MIT Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43834118

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 Science and Art of vortices allows us to demonstrate and
evidencing broken symmetries or lost
Sculpturing Fluids quantify the inverse cascade of energy invariance. The proofs, experimental
J.-M. Chomaz, Laboratoire from small to large scales [1]. images, data, numerical simulations or
Another example is my research on equations from a theory intrinsically
d'Hydrodynamique (LadHyX), CNRS,
the ocean or the atmosphere at mesoscale carry the aesthetic of this questioning
École Polytechnique - 91 128 Palaiseau
France, E-mail: horizontal scales between approximately and are designed and selected by the
10m and 100km, where motion cannot researcher to make the statement
<chomaz@ladhyx.polytechnique.fr>.
be assumed to be uniform across the stronger by their subjective aesthetic
* This paper represents work presented at the Water
vertical but is
Is in the Air worskhop organized in Marseille, organized in layers as the aspect even though the proof itself is
density
France, by Leonardo/Olats in collaboration with of the fluid increases with depth. objective. In science, aesthetics then
IMéRA, 25-26 June 2012, as part of the European
Such a fluid is called stratified, and by a comes into play at least at three different
project StudioLab.
series of experiments, where vertically levels, in the quest of elementary
See <www.mitpressj ournals.org/toc/leon/47/ 1 >
uniform vortices were generated by a setprocesses, in the proof and in the images,
for supplemental files associated with this issue.
of vertical flaps that rotated around their sketches or equations that convey the
Abstract
vertical axis, we isolated a new proof. In this last case, aesthetic serves
The role of aesthetics is analysed through examples
mechanism responsible for the layering the proof in a subjective way since it
of the author's work in both science and art &
science. of the ocean that we named Zigzag intends to convince our peers.
instability. From this observation we Science is an intrinsically aesthetic
Fundamental research aims at building proposed a new scaling law that search for elementary processes that may
an understanding of natural phenomena invalidated the turbulence models used touch even a robot mind but it has to be
by constructing a representation made of in atmosphere and ocean numerical shared among humans and a more
elementary mechanisms. A scientific simulation [2]. sensitive aesthetic delivers proof.
proof is then the design of a specific The concept of scaling laws is
Aesthetics in the Mediation
experiment to perform measurement of essential in science, since it states that
one of these mechanisms as much as of Science
the phenomena observed at one
possible in isolation, in order to exclude particular scale is representative of a When mediation of
the complexity and the artefacts comingbroader class of flows, if non scientific ideas is
from the interaction of different dimensional numbers, to be defined, targeting a non-
processes acting in the dynamics or in have the same values. Turbulence in the scientific public, the
the measures implemented. ocean is controlled by the balance aesthetic may be
For example, in my research, I between buoyancy due to the pushed by adding
questioned the idea that large vortex stratification and the momentum of fluid complexity to the
structures observed in planetary blobs defining the Froude number. demonstration in
atmospheres are the result of a fusion, Motion in a one-meter high tank in the order to trigger
whereby smaller structures transfer laboratory will be similar to a much questioning and not
energy from small to large scales. Such larger scale ocean flow if the Froude only to give easy
a so-called inverse cascade was assumed number is the same in both cases. Since answers. For "The
to be due to the shallowness of the the size is thousands of times smaller, Tornado Tamed"
troposphere, 10km deep, compared to the velocity has to be smaller in the lab demonstrator (Fig. 2),
the horizontal scale of the vortices, and the stratification higher, with up to by adding hot colour
around 1000km. To reproduce a similar 20% variation of the density over half a lights and irregular
free shallow flow in the laboratory, Y. meter, compared to 1% over kilometres injections of smoke,
Couder, my PhD adviser, had the idea to in the ocean. In our experiment [3], tall the tornado seems to
use soap films stretched flat on a frame columnar vortices, never encountered in form instantly when
or made hemispherical by a pressure the ocean, were created. Visualizing smoke is emitted and
difference. Then by displacing objects in flow with dye (Fig. 1), we have shown illuminates the core
or close to the membrane, such as a rack that tall vortices were breaking apart of the vortex, and to
of cylinders or disks in differential vertically under the action of the zigzag Fig. 2. disorganize when
"Tornade
rotation, vortices were generated on theirinstability. In neither the atmosphere nor smoke reaches the
apprivoisée" a
surface. Tracking the evolution of the the ocean can this instability be observed periphery, giving the
3m high open
because it is so strong that it dismantles tornado simu- illusion of an
any nascent attempt of tall vortices to lator. (© Jean- aesthetic life cycle
Fig. 1. Top view of the zigzag instability Marc Chomazi
destructuring a vertical vortex dipole [2]. appear. But as an effect of the pushed that puzzles observers
(© Jean-Marc Chomaz) back instability, energy cascades at the and engages them in a scientitic search
mesoscale from large scale to small. to decompose this complex scenery into
elementary processes.
The Aesthetics of Scientific
Questioning and of Proof Art using Science
As illustrated by these two examples, If science is aesthetics, and if aesthetics
fundamental research aims at definingmay serve scientific proof and the
and at the same time answering simple mediation of science, then science may
questions through a highly aesthetic serve art first by extending the field of
process of disentanglement of the possibilities, scientific effect or results to
complexity of the reality often become material for artists to play with

66 LEONARDO, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 66-67, 2014 doi:10.1162/LEON_a_00680 ©2014 ISAST

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and construct their own proposal. I have
practiced this art using science with the
sculptor Manolis Maridakis to produce
three works. The first one consisted of a
two-meter water disk for which the
scientific challenge was to reduce the
turbulence of the flow, to keep the disk
smooth - a problem that appears only for
a large-scale disk since at a small scale
the stiffness of the water surface is
sufficient to smooth the flow.

Art & Science, Sensitive Rather

Than Sensible Side of Science
Working with Laurent Karst and
François Eudes Chanfrault forming the Fig. 3. "Time trace" "Femme en noir" extracted from the spatio-temporal cut of
the movie "à bout de souffle" by J.L. Godard. (© Jean-Marc Chomaz)
artist group Labofactory, or with the duo
HeHe, I investigated another path the public in a shadow graphic effect causality principle that applies to time.
between art and science that mixes both where bright and dark fringes magnify Spatio-temporal images where variations
types of imagination. Formulating the water's wave. of a quantity are plotted versus time and
questions in science is pure imagination The work with the duo HeHe is space are then the tools commonly used
and intuition; this does not involve only different and more committed to political to unravel complex dynamics. A movie
the rational side of the brain but the issues, but if it proposes an unusual is also a space-time journey since the
sensitive side, which is able to angle of view it never imposes an answerdirector has ordered a time series of
understand faster and anticipate. With or a point of view. Their motto is the scenes with particular visual rhythm and
scientific intuition one suddenly sees far present impossibility to discriminate thedominant colours and prescribed in each
ahead in a direction hidden to us before. atmosphere from man-made emissions, scene the space-time motions of the
Then it will take years for the rational their "man made clouds". One of their actors and the camera. The tool science
side to move and pave the way toward approaches is to use toy models in an uses to analyse space-time processes can
that invented frontier, validating or odd situation to displace the viewpoint of
be transposed to movies by producing a
invalidating what the sensitive side has the watcher. In Fleur de Lys a toy modelsingle image by the concatenation of the
foreseen. Instead of showing scientific power plant is set inside a water tank in same
a vertical line cut out of the thousand
language, proof or technique, it is scene looking like our lab, and fluor- images of the film. Within this space-
possible with art & science to directly escent plumes are emitted sporadically time cut, each scene will be separated by
attempt to share the sensitive side, to from the cooling tower in an ever going,a vertical cut, the whole image being a
build art pieces spanning both artistic slowly evolving nuclear accident, direct immersion into the director's
and scientific imaginations. producing a fascinating green toxic space-time imagination revealing
The Labofactory "infraespace" cloud. In "Domestic Disaster 3: Planet unforeseen symmetries and
installation is made of 12 computer Laboratory" we mix the HeHe "man constructions. Figure 3 presents the
controlled cubic drums, each with a made clouds" with my intention to stress "femme en noir" image extracted from
different and artificial specialized sound.the fragility of the atmosphere in our the spatio-temporal cut of the movie "à
Each percussion of each drum produces only spaceship, which lacks a wind- bout de souffle" by Jean-Luc Godard. In
a 20cm vortex ring visualized by smoke shield. In a laboratory-like staging, a toy that "nouvelle vague" movement, the
that shoots up through the air. The ring globe with a realistic satellite printing camera
is was carried on the shoulder,
travels between a light inside the drum rotating with the music of a Theremin.enabling the story to be told at the
and a light 4 meters above, giving an The water is already greenish and dimly human level since the spectator, staged
intrinsic rhythm to the installation. lit. Suddenly a green cloud of dye is by the camera, became a character in the
Without percussion each drum appears injected close to the pole. It slowly scenario. The "time trace" images
as a black 50cm high cube with a 20cm* moves in a thin boundary layer close to issuing from this movie have the very
hole filled with bright smoke looking the globe surface, experiencing insta- human wavy texture given by the
uncontrolled motion of the shoulder-
like a volcano. This large installation canbility and exhibiting spiralling patterns.
be played live, and the public is then Eventually the dye escapes at the equator
borne camera. Being an image in time, it
immersed in a ballet of ephemeral rings to the open spaces and mixes. carries dynamic information, a kind of
evoking jellyfishes in an abyssal world. My final example will be my photo imbalance that sets the image in motion.
The Labofactory installation "Wave" series "time traces" where I produce
References and Notes
proposes a different universe, where spatio-temporal cuts through classical
electronic music is played live and movies. Science is not dealing with 1. Y. Couder, J.M. Chomaz, & M. Rabaud. "On the
hydrodynamics of soap films". Physica D, Vol 37,
composed to include infrasound that, forms but with dynamics, and the formpp. 384-405 (1989).
since it is not audible, is rendered on the cannot be distinguished from its creation
surface of a shallow water tank installed 2. P. Billant & J.M. Chomaz. "Asymptotic self-
process. This brings a kind of similarity of strongly stratified flows". Physics of
flush at the top of three 3m long black equivalence between time and space, andFluids, Vol. 13, pp. 1645-1651 (2001).
steles. Shallow water waves behave like equations ruling different processes 3. C.H.K. Williamson & J.M. Chomaz. "Gallery of
sound and unfold time into space. A light
involve in a similar way time and spaceFluid Motion, Instabilities of Stratified Vortex
Pairs", Physics of Fluids, Vol. 9, p. S4 (1997).
projector underneath the water immerses variables, the only difference being the

Transactions Special Section 67

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