Graz, Austria— The Flux Room consists of approximately 4,000 equally spaced magnetic needles loosely attached to tensioned nylon lines so as to allow them to move freely in the X, Y, and Z-axes. Magnetic fields are generated by a series of solenoids located within the space. The solenoids are linked by a control system, which can modulate the strength of the magnetic fields given off by the solenoid array, so as to produce a range of rhythmic flows through the needles in the space.

Visitors are able to walk along a path among the needles and through their presence affect the organization of the field. This may be achieved in two ways: first, through bodily interference with the magnetic field, and second through manual activation of sensors, which in turn send signals to change the field. The installation is highly mobile and can generate a wide range of field effects, not unlike those of schools of fish, wind on fields of grain, clouds, vortices, etc.

Principals: Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto

Design Team: Yusuke Obuchi, Jason Scroggin, Joshua McKeown, Akari Takebayashi, Hidekazu Ota, Eva Perez de Vega, Rhett Russo, Stephan Rutishauser, Stephan Vary, Akira Nakamura, Ian Gordon, Alver Mensana, Joon Bae Park, Aki Eto, Keigo Miki, Tomas Klassnik

Structural Consultant: ARUP London, Charles Walker, Karsten Theim

Mechanical and Software Engineers: Corcoran Engineering, Chris Corcoran, Andrew Goldenson

Installation Team: Professor Shigeru Ban and Assistant Professor Keisuke Kitagawa with the Students of Nagoya Institute of Technology: Kenji Nonobe, Kenichi Takaoka, Jun Kawase, Masayoshi Usui, Sumio Kumagai, Yuji Miwa, Makiko Asai, Ryoko Kosaka, Takashi Saito, Toshiyuki Ogawa, Akiko Sasano, Aika Yamakita, Hironori Suzuki, Takashi Sobue