Reflex at the Wellcome Trust

HQ of the Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust has been in the news because its bid to take of the Olympic Park after the 2012 games has been rejected by ministers. The Trust spends about £600 million each year to fund biomedical research. This makes it the biggest funder of research in the UK after the government.

The Trust is also a major patron of artists that explore scientific ideas and imagery. This is symbolised by the architecture of its headquarters building, the special displays and sculpture inside the building within the vast atrium as well its window displays. 

It was the new window display that caught my eye from the top of a passing 390 bus. The display is called 'Reflex' and it responds to passers by and traffic in the Euston Road. The swarming behaviour of the installation is based on an algorithm with mimics the collective behaviour of large groups of creatures such as birds or ants.