Materials in Motion
© Titouan Veuillet
A new permanent exhibition in the School of Engineering's Institute of Materials (IMX) brings research materials out of the lab and into an artistic context.
Materials in Motion was inaugurated in the School of Engineering's Institute of Materials on November 26th on the occasion of its General Assembly. "This exhibition is designed to present 'materials' in a more original and modern way than is usually the case in research laboratories," explains Chloé Bayon of IMX, who coordinated the project. It consists of a 'field' of materials encased within resin blocks mounted on metal rods arranged around a central column.
The installation is the work of artists Étienne Krähenbühl and Alban Kakulya, who were also present at the inauguration. In a short presentation, the artists expressed their honor at being invited to find new and artistic ways to showcase engineering materials in a new setting outside the lab.
"The project was a challenge at the beginning, as we had to think of a new way to present these materials. Then we had the idea to make a connection between the words "field of study", as when we think of a field, we usually think of a wheat field and the stems that move with the wind. So we had the idea to arrange the materials developed at EPFL like a field of wheat, and to place them at the top of these metal 'stems'," Kakulya said.
From crystals to perovskite solar cells and thermally drawn functional fibers, and from 3D-printed metals to dispersed microparticles, each material comes with an explanation of the ongoing research surrounding it. The exhibition is permanent and can be found in the entryway of the EPFL campus's MXF building.
Étienne Krähenbühl is a Swiss sculptor renowned for his metal works and kinetic installations exploring movement and sound. He has created several installations for EPFL, notably “bing bang” in front of the EPFL Pavilions.
Alban Kakulya is a Swiss photographer, video artist and illustrator. He is renowned for his photographic reports documenting social, cultural and political issues around the world. He is the author of the portraits Women in Materials also in the MX building hall.
