At the very end of his life quantum pioneer Werner Heisenberg asked the question, “why turbulence?” The subtle transition from smooth to turbulent flow remains among nature’s most impenetrable riddles. In Time Synthesizer, accumulative strata of microscopic -hydrogen bubbles trace emerging turbulences along a flowing surface of water. Seeded in rapid succession by an electrode wire, the bubbles form time lines that vividly reveal a gamut of surface velocities across the entirety of the flow field. The bubbles are illuminated by a multi-coloured laser sheet, transforming them into prismatic lenses which greatly expand the viewer’s depth perception.

Our understanding of turbulence has been significantly elaborated since the times of Heisenberg. A pivotal insight is the concept of a hidden state of coherently patterned self-organisation, underlying the semblant disorder of turbulent flow. The minutest nuance affects every aspect of the flow and gives rise to a state of extreme sensitivity, characterized by complex spatial and temporal order.