Slide-o-scope, The microscope Thing exhibition, Finland -
Aalto University
17– 30.1.2025
Embedded Files
Themicroscopething.mov
The object consists in a wooden box with an open lid displayed on a table. Inside the box, there are rectangular blocks made of epoxy resin that encase metallic components of a microscope. This work reimagines the "slide sample" box on an exaggerated scale, integrating microscope components to create an object that both mirrors and subverts scientific methodology.
Six clear rectangular epoxy blocks are aligned inside the wooden box side by side, these blocks are called the macro-slides by the artist. Each block (approximately 1 kg each) contains an array of dismantled microscope parts, such as screws, lenses, gears, springs, and other small mechanical elements. The series number KEB54.003 can be seen in one of the blocks. The parts are embedded and suspended within the resin, showcasing their intricate details, serving as a data visualizations, exposing the materiality that constitutes the microscope itself. The public can interact with the rectangular blocks freely.
The making-process unfolds in three key steps:
1-Photogrammetry: Capturing a 3D model of microscope KEB54.003 through photogrammetry for archiving.
2-Slicing: Dismantling the microscope into its smallest parts and slicing the components.
3-Epoxy Processing: Encasing the components in epoxy resin, transforming them into oversized slides.
Drawing from the physicality of microscope KEB54.003, The Slide-o-Scope proposes a critique of western systematization of knowledge production. Rather than functioning as a tool for analysis, the microscope becomes the subject—a sample of the very processes of scientification.
By reversing its function and deconstructing its essence, The Slide-o-Scope invites the public to reconsider the act of categorization and the material foundations of scientific inquiry.
Exhibition - The Microscope Thing
Väre Lobby
Aalto University
17– 30.1.2025
Artists:
Laura Beloff , Aurora Del Rio, Katri Naukkarinen, Müge Yildiz , Claudio Filho and Takumi Saeki.
With/Thanks To:
Kris Rijnieks and the collaboration of Aalto Fablab
Juha Linnekoski - School of Chemical Engineering
Larisa Chernyaeva - Biofilia Aalto University
The Slide-o-Scope deals with the critique of the categorization inherent in western scientific processes.
In traditional microscopy, glass slides serve as containers that constrain objects for examination. This work reimagines the "slide sample" box on an exaggerated scale, integrating microscope components to create an object that both mirrors and subverts scientific methodology. The macro-slides within the piece act as data visualizations, exposing the materiality that constitutes the microscope itself.
Drawing from the physicality of microscope KEB54.003, The Slide-o-Scope proposes a critique of western systematization of knowledge production. Rather than functioning as a tool for analysis, the microscope becomes the subject—a sample of the very processes of scientification.
By reversing its function and deconstructing its essence, The Slide-o-Scope invites the public to reconsider the act of categorization and the material foundations of scientific inquiry.
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