The CaVa Sculpture
Vanishing Carbon
with MUSIC!
How amazing is it if you can use music to convert CO2 into harmless lime – forever? Artist Ap Verheggen together with the CarbonVanish Team have managed to achieve this. A world first! See how the most creative ideas can be transformed into solutions that are very urgent and necessary for the world.”
More info below the videoclip
a sculpture that can change the world
The Carbon Vanish Sculpture Explained
The olivine sand undergoes a washing process to remove impurities, resulting in a concentrate of pure, dark particles. These concentrates are subsequently dispersed into a liquid filled container.
A deep bass speaker is attached to the bottom of the tank and oscillates in response to music and low frequencies. Both the particles and the water begin to move, creating intricate and visually stunning geometric patterns.
At each frequency, new patterns emerge, causing the artwork to constantly transform.
The olivine particles’ surface engages in a chemical process with the dissolved CO₂, resulting in the formation of inert magnesium carbonate (kind of chalk)
As the olivine particles collide with each other, they clean each other’s surfaces, allowing new CO₂ to react with a continually refreshed interface.
Innovation powered by Art
We have already scientifically proven that our liquid is the ideal transport medium for CO₂ from the ambient air to the olivine particles. This facilitates a rapid and energy-efficient chemical process that accelerates the conversion. While filming the artwork, we observed a rapid increase in the volume of the light-colored substance. Given that the dark olivine sand is thoroughly washed before being dispersed in the tank, we can only conclude that this substance is chalk.
Innovation powered by a Creative Team
Even for the CarbonVanish team, this new insight is an eye-opener. Not only can this captivating artwork create stunning forms, but it may also represent the most significant breakthrough in developing new processes to rapidly and energy-efficiently convert atmospheric CO₂ into harmless chalk.