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Chloé Savard is a Montreal-based artist and microbiologist. Originally trained as a musician, she turned to microbiology as a way to explore new scientific and creative perspectives. Under the pseudonym @tardibabe on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, she uses a microscope and her iPhone to capture striking images and videos of microorganisms—transforming drops of water into mesmerizing visual landscapes. Her work blends art and science, revealing the hidden beauty and complexity of microscopic ecosystems while raising awareness about their fragility.
Her unique approach has earned her two honorable mentions in the 2022 Nikon Small World In Motion competition. She has also showcased her work at events like the SPHÈRE Festival at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Through collaborations with scientific and cultural institutions, Chloé shares her discoveries with a wide audience, helping to democratize microbiology and inspire a new generation of observers of the invisible world.

These living mandalas are green algae named Gonium. Gonium algae can be found around the globe in freshwaters like ponds, rivers, soils, paddy fields and rainwater pools and they love water sources that are rich in nutrients. Gonium colonies are usually composed or 4, 8, 16 or 32 cells and are flattened. Each individual algae forming these colonies are enclosed in a gelatinous sheath that are all linked together to form one colony!
video
portrait
02:04
2021