The exhibition Lithium includes contributions by researchers, designers, musicians and artists. Calculated Combustion, by graphic designer and animator Maarten Mei,j is an installation centred around a lithium battery catching fire.
The reactivity and unstable characteristics of lithium have complicated the work of scientists for decades. Samsung, Sony and other companies have notoriously recalled millions of devices as some of their batteries began to explode. Overheating, or "thermal runaway", leads to a sudden release of energy, and is a common cause of explosion.
The simulation shows the process in slow motion, engaging with the eerie aesthetics of the self-destructing technology. Paired with a sequence of found footage, it highlights the moments in which lithium has played a crucial role in the destruction of machines, ecosystems and human bodies: from blasting smartphones in 2016 to the thermonuclear explosion in Castle Bravo in 1954.
Maarten Meij
Maarten Meij is a graphic designer who focuses on animation and motion graphics. He obtained a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, and his work revolves around visual experimentation with technological tools.