Inverse Space

2017

video 4,24′
sound: Scanner – Robin Rimbaud

The video Inverse space works on two levels of microscopic observation: the first line of recordings shows the transformation of a non-living (inorganic) substance from one physical state to another – namely, the process of crystallization, which involves the transformation of an ionic liquid state into a solid matter triggered for the purpose of maintaining a balanced system. The recording of the formation of various crystal types is interrupted by a set of static images of geometrically-shaped concentric patterns or grids, which function to periodically interrupt the visual field. These images illustrate the technological structure of the view and simultaneously reveal another level of microscopic visualization. The compositions consisting of points of light on a dark background, which are reminiscent of stellar constellations or similar, are the result of electronic diffraction on crystals which allows the visualization of crystals in inverse space.

The system of microscopic lenses reveals the inverse (reciprocal) multidimensional space, which is mathematically expressed in complex numbers as the ratio between the real and imaginary values. Although the crystal images appear to be simplified, the reciprocal space in fact contains far more information than the physical three-dimensional reality that we typically inhabit.

At the same time, microscopic observation of magical landscapes featuring the birth of crystals reveals the sublime beauty of multidimensional space, which extends beyond the mere visual to the limits of the intelligible.

(In collaboration: Prof. Sašo Šturm, the Department for Nanostructured Materials at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana)