RECLINING AEROSOL presents a dynamic experimental setup that focuses on the omnipresent yet barely representative aerosols and the bacteria (the first living beings) adhered to them. The sculpture references a long art-historical tradition of “reclining figures”—spanning from the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods to Picasso, Matisse, and Henry Moore. With its abstract forms, it also offers a surface for projecting associations and conveying ideas.
RECLINING AEROSOL consists of 89 interconnected aerosols. It should ideally fill the complete exhibition space – from walls to walls, from the floor to the ceiling: Desired is a maximum spatial correlation between the sculpture and inner architecture. The setup evokes a “Message in the Bottle” situation, where the “message” seems to be too big for its medium or container. At long last, where does the object come from? The answer is: the aerosols have no sender. It´s a message without a sender. The nature of this artefact without known origin lies in its origination.
The spherical forms of the sculpture invite the beholder to linger and explore due to the appealing forms, while being at the same time “squeezed” between the pompous object and its immediate surrounding space. This simultaneously adhering and repelling character of the immersive situation calls for immersion into the story behind the wondrous object that remains, however, still rather vague:
As a template for the sculpture, the shape of an unusually complex aerosol-cluster is taken, which rendered possible its long residence time in the atmosphere. This means that this particular aerosol cluster has already traveled a long distance under favorable climatic conditions (no rain). These considerations lead to the conclusion, that this particular particle come from a single source and is therefore not an aerosol formed randomly in the atmosphere (that would be different sources).
The forms embody the microbial dust, which never really settles down, always swirls upwards, but which now paradoxically seems to take root and recline – RECLINING AEROSOL seems designed to be lifted, but it sticks to the ground. Addressed are hence also inherited problems of air pollution, increasing traffic and industrial emissions with their negative impact on both human health (inhaled aerosols) and the cultural heritage (deteriorated surfaces). In case of inhaled aerosols, the question of incorporation is clearly solved: Our bodies have no way of retaining particles smaller than 5µm. So we breathe and poison ourselves, or we don’t breathe and suffocate. This is the dilemma of global industrialization.
RECLINING AEROSOL refers as embodied accumulation of aerosols to the natural and human-polluted environment, in which winds directions cause dispersion of the minute particles (aerosols) and microorganisms adhering to them. Our aerosol-cluster serves however also as a model for “natural fertilizers” of the soil or rainforest on their way from Sahara to Europe or South America: The natural and man-made aerosols that have been produced since the industrialization are of central importance for the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere, the biosphere, as well as for climate and health.
1 In most cases, their origin cannot be determined with certainty, unless they occur in such a high concentration (1000,000 particles/cm³ (smog)) that one or more sources can be identified. But it only works if a lot of analysis is carried out. The balls highlighted in blue (on the microscopic image) are fly ash, with round and not deformed shapes – they are the hardest material in the composite. The orange colored balls show strong deformation at their contact points. Fly ash cannot bond to other particles under normal circumstances, it needs a glue and this is the soot (orange). The soot is so soft that even when the soot comes into contact with the soot, contact deformations occur (purple). Further interesting information can be gleaned from the image – fly ash particles are a maximum of 10X larger than soot (500 nm to approx. 20 nm). This size distribution is crucial for the flight time, unless the proportion of soot is so high that it sticks together in the chimney to form very large clusters and sinks to the ground immediately after it emerges. In the present case one can see that the soot particles have an almost constant size (50nm – 100nm). This observation suggests a stable, continuous combustion process. The stored fly ash could also be a contamination of the fuel (coal seems very likely; the poorer the quality of the coal, the higher the mineral contamination).
2 Jan Huth, Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz.
