Laboratory of Dark Matters
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We aim to spark conversations & incite curiosity in response to Dark Matter research and the mysteries of the universe.
Engender engagement through strong curation of our laboratory theme that presents finished artworks alongside the research behind them.
Highlight Boulby Underground Laboratory as a unique space and hidden gem of UK scientific research. Bring together the arts & sciences in a collaborative project attracting interest across disciplines & from those outside these fields.
Be inclusive in our approach. Introduce families and the public to particle physics through art as an accessible route to understanding more about the universe.
We aim to make direct contact with the hard to reach communities in Hackney, London and Skinningrove, Cleveland through leafleting and email to local groups offering a friendly welcome to all-comers.
Expand public knowledge on dark matter theory through informative talks and Q&A sessions from scientists. Present performances and artworks that question sources of knowledge and encourage debate across disciplines to encourage inquisitive thinking.
Expand on dark matter research to consider how we visualise the invisible, what it means to be dark, what detection methods can be used and what motivates our curiosity in pursuing the unknown.
Share the artists' personal experience in learning about dark matter and how this is reflected in their work as an example of the many facets of interest that physics can inspire. Remove the barriers between art and science in the public consciousness to show a shared creative potential inspired by awe of the physical world and how ideas from one sphere can stimulate the other. Explore common ground that artists & scientists inhabit as they seek to understand the mysteries of the universe and our role as individuals within it.
We will discuss the implications of dark matter detection, should it occur, what changes about the way we see the universe and how this might impact our everyday lives.
Offer a high quality stimulating experience of inventive workshops, interactive & thought provoking artworks as a key to kindling a lasting fascination in discovering more about the unknown structures of the universe.
Engender engagement through strong curation of our laboratory theme that presents finished artworks alongside the research behind them.
Highlight Boulby Underground Laboratory as a unique space and hidden gem of UK scientific research. Bring together the arts & sciences in a collaborative project attracting interest across disciplines & from those outside these fields.
Be inclusive in our approach. Introduce families and the public to particle physics through art as an accessible route to understanding more about the universe.
We aim to make direct contact with the hard to reach communities in Hackney, London and Skinningrove, Cleveland through leafleting and email to local groups offering a friendly welcome to all-comers.
Expand public knowledge on dark matter theory through informative talks and Q&A sessions from scientists. Present performances and artworks that question sources of knowledge and encourage debate across disciplines to encourage inquisitive thinking.
Expand on dark matter research to consider how we visualise the invisible, what it means to be dark, what detection methods can be used and what motivates our curiosity in pursuing the unknown.
Share the artists' personal experience in learning about dark matter and how this is reflected in their work as an example of the many facets of interest that physics can inspire. Remove the barriers between art and science in the public consciousness to show a shared creative potential inspired by awe of the physical world and how ideas from one sphere can stimulate the other. Explore common ground that artists & scientists inhabit as they seek to understand the mysteries of the universe and our role as individuals within it.
We will discuss the implications of dark matter detection, should it occur, what changes about the way we see the universe and how this might impact our everyday lives.
Offer a high quality stimulating experience of inventive workshops, interactive & thought provoking artworks as a key to kindling a lasting fascination in discovering more about the unknown structures of the universe.
Planned Impact
Awareness raising of exhibitions and associated events will be online, on paper & in person. A social media campaign will be run by Sarah Gillett (18 years' experience as arts strategist specialising in digital programming & educational frameworks. Previously Global Head of Arts Digital, British Council currently working across public & commercial sectors, exploiting new technologies to help institutions connect to online audiences). Social channels led by unique content to build an audience & attract interest through intriguing imagery & quotes, inciting curiosity with links to new articles & dark matter research, behind-the-scenes insights, comments from artists & scientists plus info/uploads of our events. National & regional audiences will be targeted via our Twitter persona; Instagram for behind-the-scenes content; Pinterest boards for artists, scientists & public to contribute to. Invites sent (email + selected by post) to Artists, Academics, Students, Curators, Gallerists, Critics, contemporary art enthusiasts via our own extensive networks as studio artists & connections to RCA, LCC, Goldsmiths, CSM, Visual Arts Ireland, a-n (artists network), Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Scottish New Contemporaries, Arts Catalyst.
Those from science via Boulby Underground Laboratory, Imperial, UCL, Dark Matter Research networks (31 institutions collaborating). Contacts made at Science Fair visits (Royal Society, New Scientist) followed up with direct invitations & requests to share to mailing lists. Hobbyists & groups keen to expand knowledge located via council adult education/local activity lists & relevant social forums. Young people via invitations/flyers sent to specialist schools, physics & art depts.
Families/Tourists targeted via flyers distributed to local libraries, museums & tourist information offices. Invitations to 6 Astronomy clubs in N. Yorkshire (eg Whitby & District Astronomical Society); Whitby Lit. & Philosophical Society & Engineers via technological institutions (eg Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) Residents & Tourists via talks & flyers at Whitby Museum, using documentation from Guest Projects to direct people to the Mining Museum exhibition. Press releases to local & national publications, magazine & online platforms (eg. Art News, Art Licks, Time Out). Royal Academy magazine - confirmed article on project. Local radio (eg East London Radio) invited to interview artists/scientists. Our partners will also disseminate marketing material. Guest Projects via Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA) twitter-7000 followers, Instagram-3200 followers; Yinka's Newsletter-3,000 subscribers; Guest Projects Facebook; mailing list 2,200 subscribers. Cleveland Mining Museum via own website, social media & mailing list, established educational outreach programme for children, regular workshop attendees, local monthly publications, press releases to 8 local/regional newspapers, 3 local radio stations, BBC/ITV local news, member of 15 Tourism websites (eg. Welcome to Yorkshire & North York Moors National Park)
Dissemination of content produced for future legacy - Artworks responding to dark matter theory will be put forward to other institutions and galleries as proposals for future exhibitions in other locations. For example Neo:Gallery in Bolton have expressed an intertest in hosting a Laboratory of Dark Matters exhibition. Publication - this will be sent to institutions and galleries as a promotional tool. Video documentation will be posted online and on our website which will be updated with future events as well as other research material and articles of interest
Those from science via Boulby Underground Laboratory, Imperial, UCL, Dark Matter Research networks (31 institutions collaborating). Contacts made at Science Fair visits (Royal Society, New Scientist) followed up with direct invitations & requests to share to mailing lists. Hobbyists & groups keen to expand knowledge located via council adult education/local activity lists & relevant social forums. Young people via invitations/flyers sent to specialist schools, physics & art depts.
Families/Tourists targeted via flyers distributed to local libraries, museums & tourist information offices. Invitations to 6 Astronomy clubs in N. Yorkshire (eg Whitby & District Astronomical Society); Whitby Lit. & Philosophical Society & Engineers via technological institutions (eg Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) Residents & Tourists via talks & flyers at Whitby Museum, using documentation from Guest Projects to direct people to the Mining Museum exhibition. Press releases to local & national publications, magazine & online platforms (eg. Art News, Art Licks, Time Out). Royal Academy magazine - confirmed article on project. Local radio (eg East London Radio) invited to interview artists/scientists. Our partners will also disseminate marketing material. Guest Projects via Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA) twitter-7000 followers, Instagram-3200 followers; Yinka's Newsletter-3,000 subscribers; Guest Projects Facebook; mailing list 2,200 subscribers. Cleveland Mining Museum via own website, social media & mailing list, established educational outreach programme for children, regular workshop attendees, local monthly publications, press releases to 8 local/regional newspapers, 3 local radio stations, BBC/ITV local news, member of 15 Tourism websites (eg. Welcome to Yorkshire & North York Moors National Park)
Dissemination of content produced for future legacy - Artworks responding to dark matter theory will be put forward to other institutions and galleries as proposals for future exhibitions in other locations. For example Neo:Gallery in Bolton have expressed an intertest in hosting a Laboratory of Dark Matters exhibition. Publication - this will be sent to institutions and galleries as a promotional tool. Video documentation will be posted online and on our website which will be updated with future events as well as other research material and articles of interest
Organisations
| Title | Laboratory of Dark Matters |
| Description | An exhibition of new artworks by 10 artists responding to dark matter research installed at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum for 6 weeks. Research information was provided in the gallery in the form of A4 sheets and A3 folders with sections on dark matter research, Boulby Underground Laboratory, Scientist profiles and the artworks on display. Four Cloud Chamber workshops and two Phosphorescence Workshops with hands-on creative activities and demonstrations were run by the artists. Gallery tours, Talks and Q&A with scientists and artists, a Private View event for local VIP's and museum community and an open day event with dark matter themed games, quizzes and activities that were cross-generational and fun. Participating artists: Amy Gear, Daniel Clark, Elizabeth Murton, Kate Fahey, Luci Eldridge, Melanie King, Peter Glasgow, Sarah Gillett, Susan Eyre, Robert Good. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | Opening people's eyes to the mysteries of the universe and the pleasure of discovery by offering a unique experience in a hard to reach area. As a result of the project artists have been invited to speak at events such as The Royal Society discussion Cultures Combined: Art and Science, June 2017; the Institute of Physics INTERACT Conference Birmingham 2017; to curate IAmSciArt twitter feed November 2017; to show artwork at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Liverpool April 2018; to participate in Deptford X exhibition and join artists collective by cloud chamber workshop participants at Guest Projects; write project Blog for IOP Aug 2017; collaborate on Dark Matter Day public discussion/reading group with UCL High Energy Physics PhD students October 2017; invited by Yinka Shonibare to join judging panel at Guest Projects to review and vote on new proposals for 2018; approached by The Royal Holloway University to collaborate on an event for Dark Matter Day 2018. Courtyard billboard artwork 'How To Know The Starry Heavens' at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum has remained up so the work is being seen for a much longer duration than originally planned. Cloud chamber workshop model copied for a school programme by workshop participant. Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum have been awarded Heritage Lottery Funding for a major expansion project and they believe Laboratory of Dark Matters helped secure this as the awarding body took an interest in the exhibition and events which showed diversity and new audience engagement. Ours was the first contemporary art exhibition they had ever hosted but now the museum will have a dedicated gallery in the new build with new ties to local artists and a programme of exhibitions. A project website with links to further information. A publication giving an overview of dark matter, Boulby Underground Laboratory, the artists responses and artworks. Contacts made for future art/science collaborations. Artists have learnt a lot about dark matter and related theories that will feed their practices. Workshop leaders have tried and tested workshop plans they can offer elsewhere. For some it was learning a complete new set of skills running a workshop and this has given confidence to do more projects of this sort. We have gained valuable new tools in the communication of ideas across disciplines and skills in project management, planning, negotiating & collaborating with diverse and remote institutions. Relationships of support & co-operation have been built between artists and scientists that will be the foundation for future projects. |
| URL | http://www.laboratoryofdarkmatters.com |
| Description | Art exhibitions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An exhibition of new artworks by 10 artists responding to dark matter research installed at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum for 6 weeks. Research information was provided in the gallery in the form of A4 sheets and A3 folders with sections on dark matter research, Boulby Underground Laboratory, Scientist profiles and the artworks on display. Four Cloud Chamber workshops and two Phosphorescence Workshops with hands on creative activities and demonstrations were run by the artists. Gallery tours, Talks and Q&A with scientists and artists, a Private View event for local VIP's and museum community and an open day event with dark matter themed games, quizzes and activities that were cross generational and fun. Opening people's eyes to the mysteries of the universe and the pleasure of discovery by offering a unique experience in a hard to reach area. As a result of the project artists have been invited to speak at events such as The Royal Society discussion Cultures Combined: Art and Science, June 2017; the Institute of Physics INTERACT Conference Birmingham 2017; to curate IAmSciArt twitter feed November 2017; to show artwork at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Liverpool April 2018; to participate in Deptford X exhibition and join artists collective by cloud chamber workshop participants at Guest Projects; write project Blog for IOP Aug 2017; collaborate on Dark Matter Day public discussion/reading group with UCL High Energy Physics PhD students October 2017; invited by Yinka Shonibare to join judging panel at Guest Projects to review and vote on new proposals for 2018; approached by The Royal Holloway University to collaborate on an event for Dark Matter Day 2018. Courtyard billboard artwork 'How To Know The Starry Heavens' at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum has remained up so the work is being seen for a much longer duration than originally planned. Cloud chamber workshop model copied for a school programme by workshop participant. Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum have been awarded Heritage Lottery Funding for a major expansion project and they believe Laboratory of Dark Matters helped secure this as the awarding body took an interest in the exhibition and events which showed diversity and new audience engagement. Ours was the first contemporary art exhibition they had ever hosted but now the museum will have a dedicated gallery in the new build with new ties to local artists and a programme of exhibitions. A project website with links to further information. A publication giving an overview of dark matter, Boulby Underground Laboratory, the artists responses and artworks. Contacts made for future art/science collaborations. Artists have learnt a lot about dark matter and related theories that will feed their practices. Workshop leaders have tried and tested workshop plans they can offer elsewhere. For some it was learning a complete new set of skills running a workshop and this has given confidence to do more projects of this sort. We have gained valuable new tools in the communication of ideas across disciplines and skills in project management, planning, negotiating & collaborating with diverse and remote institutions. Relationships of support & co-operation have been built between artists and scientists that will be the foundation for future projects. Total reach: Total in person = 2857 Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum Exhibition visitors - 2600 Private View - 52 Open day - 70 Phosphorescence Workshops - 36 Cloud Chamber Workshops - 48 Whitby Museum Talks - 51 Total Online = 7768 over entire project which ran from March to November 2017 www.laboratoryofdarkmatters.com LODM Facebook page Twitter Followers @darkmatterslab Instagram followers @darkmatterslab YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8idGHzWMh0 Guest Projects/Yinka Shonibare website + twitter + Instagram Axisweb (31K followers) selected 'Laboratory of Dark Matters as one of their Highlights for the week a-n artists newsletter (21K members) highlights article featured LODM Run Riot blogpost (3216 FB followers 8386 twitter followers) http://www.run-riot.com/articles/blogs/%E2%80%9Cwithin-ordinary-space-were-hidden-building-blocks-universe%E2%80%9D-susan-eyre-laboratory-da Participating artists social media and Artist blogs Collaborating scientists, speaker's social media Laboratory of Dark Matters is a response by artists to scientific investigations into the unknown nature of the universe. Through a programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks and discussions it invites everyone driven by curiosity to explore fundamental questions about matter and consciousness. To spark conversations & incite curiosity in response to dark matter research and the mysteries of the universe. Attract interest across art & science & from those outside these fields to show shared creative potential inspired by awe of the physical world and how ideas from one sphere can stimulate the other. Introduce the public to particle physics through art as an accessible route to understanding more about the universe. Expand public knowledge and encourage inquisitive thinking on dark matter theory through informative talks and Q&A from scientists. Highlight Boulby Underground Laboratory as a unique hidden gem of UK scientific research. Expand on dark matter research to consider how we visualise the invisible, what it means to be dark, what detection methods can be used and what motivates our curiosity in pursuing the unknown. Offer high quality inventive workshops & thought-provoking artworks as a key to kindling a lasting fascination in discovering more about the unknown structures of the universe. Reach geographically remote communities. We wanted our audience to feel inspired and curious to learn more. To share knowledge and be informed in an accessible way that would encourage them to explore ideas and ask questions. To gain skills in critical thinking and an appetite to engage with science and the arts in the future. To gain an overview of the current theories of dark matter and the role of Boulby Underground Laboratory. To value science as part of everyday life and art as another method of examining the structures of the universe Comments from the audience in the comments book and on feedback forms. E.g. 'I knew nothing about dark matter, now I want to learn more.' Comments from our science partners who have appreciated new ways of engaging an audience through participation in creative activity and sharing philosophical ideas rather than a more didactic approach of presenting scientific information. Comments from the Museum who had never hosted a science/art exhibition before and found this expanded their audience and has given them confidence to include a permanent gallery in the new museum building planned for next year and to propose future cross discipline collaborations. New audiences inspired to learn more about science and contemporary art. A network of scientists and artists has been created for future collaborations and shared knowledge. Public awareness of Boulby Underground Laboratory and its research has been increased. The profile of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum has been raised and links strengthened with the local community, better informing them about Boulby Underground Laboratory on their doorstep at Boulby Potash Mine. BBC Teeside radio put in contact with Boulby Underground Laboratory who they previously knew nothing about. The Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE, Her Majesty's representative in the County attended the exhibition Private View and promised to report on his visit. North Yorkshire is the largest geographic Lieutenancy in England. The Lord-Lieutenant is responsible for the promotion of civic, commercial, voluntary and social activities within the County. The profile of East Cleveland, an area of high economic deprivation, has be raised and helped its re-branding as a tourist destination. The board of the Heritage Lottery Fund took an interest in the Laboratory of Dark Matters project and have since confirmed a major funding award to Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum to expand the museum. New dark matter events have been organised via contacts made. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8idGHzWMh0 |