Phenomena: art meets science in spectacular and profound mini-documentary series
By creating special effects without digital trickery, this new bite-sized ABC series evokes the thrill of watching the ordinary become extraordinary
‘At the heart of the series is a sensation similar to recreational drug use, derived from the thrill of observing things from daily life from a different perspective.’ Photograph: Josef Gatti and Rob Innes
Director Josef Gatti blurs the line between artistic expression and scientific experiment in the visually amazing Phenomena – or perhaps makes the point that in certain circumstances they can be one and the same. In this nine-part short form YouTube series for ABC Science, which has an additional 28-minute compilation episode screening on ABC iview, his art is science and his science art, and he conducts experiments that create striking ocular effects through manipulating matter and energy rather than the magic of film-making.
In other words: no digital trickery beyond basic editing techniques such as cutting and montage. An expansive electro soundtrack from The Presets’ Kim Moyes adds a journeying, exploratory element to the show, enriching a kaleidoscopic and frankly astonishing experience that reminded me of an evening many years ago when I ate magic mushrooms and spent several hours staring at a fire.
At the heart of the series (produced by Rob Innes and made in consultation with scientist Dr Niraj Lal) is a sensation similar, in fact, to recreational drug use, derived from the thrill of observing things from daily life from a different perspective, revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary. The show’s declaration that “the story of the universe is visible all around us, written in the patterns of nature” might by itself have read like an airy statement scribbled down by a stoned philosophy student. But after watching Phenomena, you will be convinced it’s bang-on.