Towards Matter, Particularly

Piet Schmidt

In the installation 'Towards Matter, Particularly,' which consists of three interconnected objects, scientific instruments are repurposed to heighten our sensory awareness of the ever-present subatomic particles surrounding us. Here, the particles determine how and when they become visible. Subatomic particles passing through the installation space become visible inside a cloud chamber, whose visibility is controlled by the particles themselves—sometimes hiding, sometimes revealing their traces. When these particles collide with Geiger tubes placed nearby, they trigger moments of light and sound.

These collisions influence the illumination in the cloud chamber, affecting both visibility and the perspective from which the particles present themselves to us. To observe more traces, viewers must move with the rotating light beam, circling the cloud chamber. At CERN, particle accelerators make particles move in circles. In this installation, however, it is the particles that make people move in circles. By elevating particles into our sensory awareness, the installation invites new relationships with the matter that composes us and our world.

Project Collaborators:

Thanks to Iliana Tatsi for her generous support at CERN, for opening doors and introducing me to people and places.