Svend Sømod: Superposition

17 jun 202131 jul 2021

Tableau presents Superposition by Svend Sømod.

For the exhibition at Tableau, Sømod will show the different electron orbitals of hydrogen. These will be complemented by woodcuts and paintings of the superpositions of macro world objects. The paintings have been created by painting many layers on top of each other and subsequently letting a sander dance chaotically over every layer. One could say that the painting shows the Superposition of the sander. A similar work has been made with an angle grinder, dancing over a piece of wood, used to make a traditional woodcut.

It may seem a little complex, so here’s a short explanation of what “superposition” means. A Superposition comes from a particle, which can be, and not be at the same time as well as be in all the potential positions and velocities simultaneously. This creates what is called a quantum superposition. every particle is in a quantum superposition until interacting with another particle. When interacting with another particle, both particle states will become fixed. Quantum physics is also an important part of photosynthesis, which relies on the relation between photons and electrons. Light excites electrons to higher energy states before the energy gets stored as sugar.

Through years of development in collaboration with programmers Lukas Barbagallo, Halfdan Moritzen, and especially Rasmus Jones, Sømod has with the help of a supercomputer now rendered the different electron states in the quality they deserve.

Kilde: Tableau