The nanoscale is so small that we can’t really see it or experience it–so how do we describe it? One hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair, the nanoscale is a world where incredibly small particles are governed by physical forces beyond our experience. The NISE Network’s Visualization Laboratory at the Exploratorium is addressing the problem of describing the nanoscale by exploring effective and innovative ways visualizations can be used to understand and experience the very small.
In 2006, the Visualization Laboratory invited several artists to participate in installations, commissions, and residencies that explored different approaches to visualizing the nanoscale. From the inception of the Laboratory, artists were identified as potentially rich explorers of this unfamiliar terrain. The resulting artworks and experiments are presented in this website. These projects identified new techniques, approaches, and challenges that have shaped the direction of the Visualization Laboratory’s products and research. By documenting these projects, it is our hope that they can influence and inspire the work of others facing the challenge of portraying this remote landscape.
Jennifer Frazier, Project Director, Visualization Laboratory