I recently visited the exhibition ‘Magnifi’science’ at the Palace of Discovery in Paris. Jacques Honvault, an engineer, uses his expertise in photography to create images of scientific experiments. The results are fabulous images that are simultaneously artistic and fascinating.
Water running over an orange
If you’ve ever wondered what happens – scientifically – when a champagne cork is popped, or see the reaction of two drops colliding, Honvault shows you in perfectly lit beautiful images. This example shows that water does not run completely over an orange. It runs over the imprint of the hand that was holding it, giving the impression of a ‘hand of water’.
It is still necessary to read the text explanations (in French only) if you want to know how the photo was created but it is sufficiently satisfying just to wander through the exhibition and gaze at the photos. You can also join in the fun and try and guess what a photo depicts. A display cabinet has been set up with everyday kitchen items, such as a sink, a frying pan and washing up liquid. Which photo relates to which item?
Magnifi’science is most enjoyable and highly recommended to visitors in Paris. If you are attending STC’s ‘Content Strategy Forum 2010′ or the TCeurope Colloquium ‘A New Decade for Technical Communication: 2010 and Beyond’ on 16 and 17 April respectively, take some time out to pop over to the Palais de la decouverte: http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/index.php?id=magnifi-science or http://www.jacqueshonvault.com/index.php?p=pdld
