Edge of Chaos (2018)

Between order and chaos, a mathematical space originally studied to understand the behaviour of avalanches and crystallisation of liquids, scientists are uncovering the rules for the existence of life itself. A small region called the “Edge of Chaos” displays complex behaviours that have both organisation and instability creating the continuous flux that scientist hypothesise drives the engine of life — evolution — and produces the boundless novelty of the natural world.

Inspired by the science of complexity, the Edge of Chaos installation is a collaboration between artists Vasilija Abramovic & Ruairi Glynn and scientist Bas Overvelde (AMOLF / Studio Overvelde). Bringing together the scientific work on transformable geometries previously published by Overvelde et al. in Nature and Interactive Architecture Lab’s expertise in immersive spatial design and interaction, the team collaborated on developing their competition winning entry for the international touring exhibition Capitaine Futur which opened in Paris at la Gaîté Lyrique in April 2018.

The interactive installation invites visitors to experience the balancing point between highly ordered and turbulent systems, composed of three features. At its centre, a robotic tree representing “Life”, surrounded by an inert “Cloud” representing the vast unorganised matter of an entropic universe, and an interactive surface that represents the “Edge of Chaos”.