Paola Borri is based at Cardiff University and her research pioneers in the development of novel optical microscopy techniques for nanoparticles imaging, using next generation laser-scanning microscopes. Opto-nano celebrates her work through a dynamic choreography paired with generative visuals that were projected on CultVR's 360 dome.

We were inspired equally by the intricate micro-structures of biological cells, as well as their interaction with photons and how light travels through them and changes their molecular structure. We developed a digital petri dish that cultivated a Physarum Polycephalum, shifting and rearranging itself in response to the dancer's movement as well as the beat of the music.

We also developed a custom ray-tracing system that accurately animated a variety of light beams and their reflections and refractions through matter. Taking inspiration from prof. Borri's research and the special optical microscopy techniques she uses, the different light-rays travelled though artificial prisms that helped to focus and disperse the light and enable it to interact with the generated organic cellular micro-organisms.