CHEMISTRY 2000

Topics of Interest #3:The Art of Chemistry

The Art of Chemistry

In fall 2008, British artist Roger Hiorns turned a condemned apartment in London, England, into a work of art via a giant chemistry experiment.

In preparation, he reinforced the walls and ceiling then coated the apartment in plastic wrap.

The apartment was then flooded with about 90,000 litres of hot copper sulfate solution! How’d he do that? The solution was pumped in from the apartment above through a hole in the ceiling.

As the solution cooled, copper sulfate precipitated out, forming the beautiful blue crystals that kids used to be able to make using store-bought kits.

Once the crystals had formed, the remaining water was pumped back out of the apartment, leaving behind a glistening blue “cave”.

The exhibit, called Seizure, was open to the public from September to November, 2008. Visitors were given rubber boots to wear as they walked through.

from “Images of the Year” in Nature (2008) 456, 859. Also, http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/sep/04/art

The Art of Chemistry

Links to pictures of Seizure (photos by Richard Nicholson and Nick Cobbing)

http://www.iconeye.com/index.php?view=article&catid=348%3Agallery&layout=default&id=3393%3Aseizure-by-roger-hiorns&option=com_content (includes “making of” photos)

http://shapeandcolour.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/roger-hiorns-seizure/ (includes video walkthrough of apartment)

from “Images of the Year” in Nature (2008) 456, 859. Also, http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/sep/04/art

The Art of Chemistry

Please don’t try this at home… http://www.nature.com/news/specials/2008/gallery/index.html image 15