BLOOD WORKS
Tobias Klein and Jane Prophet (UK, Hong Kong)
What is the future of blood?
Inspired by the biological properties and qualities of blood - fluidity, coagulation, iron, magnetism, and closed cardiovascular systems - Blood Works is a transparent kinetic sculpture filled with black and white liquids contained in interlocking 3D printed structures. The organic 3D forms, with chambers and vascular-like structures, contain two constantly moving fluids. The first is from the family of compounds known as artificial blood, specifically white perfluorocarbon. While the second is black ferrofluid, which shifts from liquid to apparent solid state when magnetised and is used in magnetic resonance imaging.
Movement within the kinetic sculpture is driven by a state of imbalance. Intermittent electromagnetic impulses attract the ferrofluid. As both fluids move, the suspended sculpture rotates in its gyroscope-like framework. This movement was further inspired by hourglasses and water clocks, connecting blood flow, pulse and time.
Tobias Klein, trained as an architect, and works between architecture, art and installation. His works are known for their experimental design, interactivity and urbanism. His static and dynamic models at different scales shift from objects to installations and design, prospecting new visual territories in the field of embodied space.
Jane Prophet’s artworks emerge through collaborations with scientists such as neuroscientists, stem cell researchers, mathematicians and heart surgeons. She works across media to produce objects and installations, frequently combining traditional and computational processes.