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20 September 2022

Exploring collaborations between physicists and artists

Science Gallery London exhibition highlights partnerships with King's artists in residence

Seeing the Unthinkable
Seeing the Unthinkable

A new exhibition at Science Gallery London highlights collaborations between King’s Physicists and artists in residence.

Dr Teppei Katori, Reader in Physics, has created Particle Shrine, with musician and composer Christo Squier and creative technologist Chris Ball. This takes live data from cosmic rays and translates them into sound and vision, creating an audio-visual display that immerses audiences in the mysteries of the universe.

Dr James Millen, Senior Lecturer, has worked with artist Steven Claydon, to create Seeing the Unthinkable, levitating nano-particles and micro-particles with electrical fields to see how they move. The project questions how randomness is exploited by nature through stimuli like noise, music and climate, exploring the possibility of intelligence arising from systems of objects that develop with and without human interference.

Both collaborations present physics in unexpected ways, encouraging people to look at the world differently.

 

Particle Shrine. Photo by Matt Jolly
Particle Shrine. Photo by Matt Jolly

Teppei comments:

"Cosmic rays are mysterious messengers from the deep universe, and they carry information about the most extreme events in the universe, such as supernovas and black holes. We hope audiences feel connections with the universe through this installation!"

James adds:

"This piece has made me reconsider which aspects of my own research are most important, and I’m excited to see how the public respond, which will further shape my views. I’m so happy that this beautiful exhibit will bring a sense of wonder to everyone who sees it."

The King’s artists programme provides residencies for artists across the university, connecting with staff and students across disciplines to embrace creativity and develop new thinking.

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Reader in Advanced Photonics