Qi-Chen System
Qi-Chen System art by Riccardo Zerbinati explores the passage from nonlinear dynamics to sculptural geometry. The reference equations identify the mathematical model associated with this study. In Grasshopper, successive points form a rail for a swept cross-section; in 3ds Max, materials and light turn that surface into the finished artwork.
The mathematical reference
The Qi–Chen system is the mathematical reference named for this artwork. It places the piece within nonlinear dynamics, while the image remains an independent artistic interpretation. It is not intended as a scientific diagram, measured dataset or direct visualisation of a particular parameter setting.
Qi-Chen System equations
An additional yz coupling appears in the first equation. The three pairwise products tie the evolving coordinates together.
Here, t is time and the variables are coordinates in the system’s state space. Letters such as a, b and c denote fixed coefficients. These are reference equations for the named model or family, not a recovered record of the parameters, initial conditions or integration settings used in this particular image. Chaotic behaviour depends on those choices.
Formula reference: View the documented system and source.
From a trajectory to Qi-Chen System art
Riccardo develops the rail in Grasshopper for Rhinoceros using Chimpanzee. The system evolves over time, producing successive three-dimensional points. Connecting those samples creates a path. A cross-section is then swept along that rail, giving the line thickness and a surface. This is how a time-dependent mathematical trajectory becomes visible as sculptural geometry.
The sweep adds a visual layer to the mathematics: its width and orientation affect how the form catches light. Riccardo then uses 3ds Max to develop the material, camera and illumination. The finished work is a digital render of this geometry, rather than a photograph of a fabricated object. No generative AI is used to create the artwork.
To read the image, follow a single edge as it moves through light and shadow. Notice where the projected path overlaps, opens or disappears behind another surface. The rail comes from a rule evolving through time; the artist’s composition lets us experience that motion as a still image. The aim is to reveal the hidden beauty of chaos theory.
A study in form
The viewer is invited to move between the title and the form: the first supplies a technical point of reference, while the image opens a more immediate visual encounter. A metallic surface suggests physical materiality, and the vertical framing gives the work a calm, focused presence. The piece welcomes close looking without requiring prior mathematical training.
Created by Riccardo Zerbinati through parametric modelling in Rhinoceros and rendering in 3ds Max, this is one of 40 vertical digital artworks created without generative AI.
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