In her works dated 2001-4, Sachiko Kodama gracefully utilizes the properties of ferrofluids (magnetic liquids) in order to create dynamic object forms, and in some cases interaction. Using sculpturally integrated electro-magnets, ferrofluid is manipulated to writhe and work against gravity according to Kodama’s choreography. Much of the beauty of the work relies upon the natural properties of the magnetic fluid. The corrugation in the form of spikes and cones along the surface is due to the instability of the magnetic field in the medium, known as normal-field instability.

Kodama’s Protrude, Flow: YouTube

How to make your own ferrofluid: About.com

A chance meeting leads Harris to Groovin’ Gary, a small town kid with big dreams and a penchant for performing as Olivia Newton-John in talent shows. Harris remade this real life encounter twice, once with Sean Penn and again with Crispin Glover. This film is next to impossible to find. I managed to nab a copy a while back and loved the film. It’s now available on YouTube.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Via boingboing

Navigating Mary Mattingly’s website is equal parts frustrating and rewarding at the same time. Some of her photography is scattered around various pages, but more importantly there is a significant amount of insight into the posthumanist backdrop of her work. Her exploration of transhumanism, communication, and the evolution of the human species is unique is several ways, but most interesting is her dedication to the ideas she explores. Many of the suggestions of her work (the “wearable home” and “G-Simpod”) are seen in “press releases” and r+d drafts on her website.

via reBlog

Noah Kalina, the man responsible for the YouTube “take a picture everyday for a couple years” phenomenon, has a set of “self portraits” he took at a VH1 gathering with a bunch of well known celebrities. He apparantly thought it was necessary to change clothes between each picture. Here is a Flickr gallery of the series.

via Gawker

LivesConnected is an interactive visualization of the experiences of 44 survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Using a simple yet beautiful interface, it allows the viewer to trace the narratives of thematically similar individuals. The most interesting thing about the piece is how easy it is to navigate the different threads in a manner that enables the viewer to take control over the thematic material.

via Rhizome