Thursday, August 27, 2015
An Amazing Ferrofluid Display Brings Nike's New Sneakers To Life
gizmodo.com: So far, the most practical use man has found for ferrofluid—the mesmerizing black goo that reacts to magnets in cool ways—is as gorgeous eye candy. And that’s totally OK, because how else would have Nike realized this slick animated display for its new Kevin Durant sneakers?
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I'll be honest and say I was mislead and immediately assumed that Nike had actually designed a pair of shoes that included ferrofluid in their actual design, but alas, this was still pretty cool. It also immediately made me start thinking about how the fluid could be used in clothing applications in general. Sliding magnets placed over a soft clear acrylic or pvc coat filled with the fluid, shoes filled with the fluid that responded to magnetic shoelaces when walking, the applications are actually pretty much endless and pretty awesome. Since it was being developed for NASA, i'm sure the price doesn't really come cheap, but we can hope for the best to see Ferrofluid included in the clothing of "the future", right alongside our ferrofluid run cars.
Though my days of science are pretty much over, I still really enjoy seeing products, like the display featured in the article, that stem from the intersection of art and science. Science is an oft-overlooked, yet highly valuable asset to art and art production. In addition to clearly showcasing both areas, this display also gives them (in tandem) a prominence and presence in the public consciousness that can only serve to advance each area, and future joint efforts, further.
The display is also notable for its lack of overt "flash-bang". Without intense lighting and media, and major moving pieces, the display is simple compared to other modern attempts to grab the consumer public's attention. The straightforward display has only three real parts: the model mount, the magnets, and the ferrofluid. This lends an elegance that is often sought and seldom achieved today. I sincerely hope the success of this campaign promotes more art-science collaborations, especially with the support of companies as large as Nike.
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