landscape
video
01:42
2022
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.

As you can observe, these phytoplankton possess a hard but flexible shell called the theca or lorica which is made of cellulose plates and extensions called horns, which are pretty pointy. This armour is divided in two by a horizontal groove called the cingulum. There’s also another small vertical groove crossing the cingulum which is called the sulcus. Each of these grooves are housing a flagellum which is used for locomotion during the motile stage of this eukaryotic unicellular algae.
Ceratium tends to bloom during summer and can be responsible for bad smell and taste of drinking water. They usually grow steadily during March and April and then their number explodes during June and July with exponential growth.
video
landscape
01:42
2022