One of the biggest mysteries in physics today is what exactly makes up our Universe, and why – according to the world’s leading scientists – 95 per cent of it cannot be observed.
From 6 June to 26 August 2019, Science Gallery London will explore the elusive building blocks of the Universe with DARK MATTER: 95% of the Universe is missing, a free exhibition and events season combining art, physics and philosophy, and drawing on the latest research from the Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences at King’s College London.
Normal matter – everything that we can see and observe – makes up just 5 per cent of the Universe. The rest, including dark matter and dark energy, is an unknown which scientists have been hunting for nearly a century.
As scientists approach the limits of what can be observed or known within theoretical physics, DARK MATTER at Science Gallery London highlights the critical role of artists, philosophers and storytellers in our understanding of reality.
Imagining the unseen and questioning the invisible, the new season will explore fundamental physics, matter and materiality, the concept of invisibility and infinite divisibility, and the human quest for absolute truth and knowledge.
Exhibition highlights include:
an immersive animation installation by Andy Holden which reflects on the physics of a cartoon landscape, developed with Professor John Ellis from the Department of Physics at King’s College London;
translucent spider webs which mimic the structure of dark matter in the universe by Tomás Saraceno;
a new installation translating dark matter simulations into sound patterns by Aura Satz, in collaboration with Professor Malcolm Fairbairn from the Department of Physics at King’s College London; and
perpetually changing liquid crystal paintings by Agnieszka Kurant which will transform according to the ‘energy’ of social media feeds around the world.
A range of free events will accompany the DARK MATTER exhibition including Friday Lates, performances and workshops shaped by Science Gallery’s Young Leaders – 15-25 year olds who live, work or study at King’s or in the neighbouring boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth.