The universe inside: a project of astronomy
for professional artists
Stefano Sandrelli
INAF – National Institute for Astrophysics
Brera Astronomical Observatory, Milan, Italy
Founded in 1762
The most ancient scientific institution in Milan
WHERE
POE @ OAB is (was) a matter of research and culture
Education
Formal edu: Italian Olympiad of Astronomy coordination
daily multimedial lessons to students ageing 6-18
Hands-on edu: hunt for the black hole – a role playing workshop for
students 17-18 yrs old
see Arosio et al. - CAP2007 proceedings
Informal edu: creative writing/drawing starting from scientific subjects
for students 12-14 yrs old
see Romaniello et al. CAP2005 proceedings
Necessity of a multidisciplinary approach
both to Edu and Outreach activities
POE @ OAB is (was) a matter of research and culture
Outreach
Various science festivals: the Lord of the rings - a Live Role Playing
game: somebody stole Saturn’s rings and the partecipants must rebuild
them after having discovered the right ingredients.
see Cavallotti et al., CAP 2005 proceedings
Scientific Theatre: Light from the stars
see Giliberti et al., CAP2010
Public talks by astronomers in planetaries or in institutional locations
Necessity of a multidisciplinary approach
both to Edu and Outreach activities
Pala Expo
600 mq at the very center of Rome
A collaboration of:
National Institute for Astrophysics
(INAF)
150 000 persons in the period
National Institute for26
Nuclear
Physics
october
2009 – 14 february 2010
(INFN)
Italian Space Agency (ASI)
1764
science
art
Brera Palace: 1571 - 1776
representation (interpretation) of the world
1776
1°step (2007-2008): the Universe as a creation lab
Goal 1: To pave the way to a permanent dialogue among
scientists and artists* in Brera
Note: a dialogue requests a common language
and a sincere interest to get in touch with somebody;
listen and talk!
Goal 2:
to stimulate an interest for the contemporary
scientific vision of the universe among the artists
* Artists = artists and their students
2007-2008: The Universe as a creation lab
We did not want:
• to teach modern astronomy to the artists
• to show the artists what they should care of and to
be interested in
We wished
to show them the contemporary vision of some
remarkable aspects of the universe and to talk about it
with them
2008-2009: labs and dialogues
The nextdoor Universe
20 hours course
of astronomy
Postcards from the Solar System
The Sun and the stars
The Galaxy realm
The Big Bang and the expanding universe
Far away from our eyes
The farthest explosions
in the universe
300 students
30 teachers of
the
Academy
Themes of interest
The non-euclidean space and the spacetime
The space and its representations
The light
The mystery and the scientific investigations
dimensions
constellations and astrology
the evolution of the cosmic structure
the emptiness and the zero
the
the
the
the
the
the
energy in the cosmo
infinity
round angle
stars
solar system
moon
2°step (2009-….): The Universe Inside
An exhibition of modern art dedicated to the scientific vision of the cosmo
Organizers
Partners
Brera Academy
Brera Observatory
3 Shopkeepers Associations of:
• Brera
• Fiori Chiari Street
• Madonnina Street
Supporters
ONU/UNESCO/IAU
INAF
ESA
MIUR
Milano Municipality
Milano Provincia
Lombardia Regione
50 shops with no direct benefit
(not for sale)
Sponsors
Alser vini
Esselunga
F.Lli Fiasconaro
Sudalimenta
Istituto Alberghiero “Vespucci”, Milano
WHERE
www.universodentro.it
Logo attempts
Francesco Grassi
Small artificial Universe
Photo
cm 20 x 13
2009
Costabile
Maybe I’ll
present the
Moon to her.
Oil on canvas
cm 130 x 140
2008/2009
Joo Yeon Kim
Sunshine
Mosaic
cm 50 x 50
2009
Antonella Di Donna
Sky chart VIII
Oil and chulk on paper
Cm 50 x 70
2008
Kim Sung Heun
Rubbish Universe
Installation. Acrylic on paper and rubbish
Pannello cm 150 x 250
particular
2009
However, it is interesting to note that the general public seems just
as estranged from contemporary art as it does from science.
What do we learn?
A minor decalogue of 7 points
1. Do not teach, dialogue! A dialogue is possible. But it’s tiring of course
2. Respect the mystery (“The most beautiful experience we can have is the
mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of
true art and true science”, A. Einstein)
3. Show your burning heat of get an inner view
(“idea” from the greek idein, to see)
4. Use also technical terms: their sounds can help the artist to grasp the
global context and the overall meaning
5. Show your own visions based on science
6. Use also formulas, telling the artists about the visions they evokes
7. Appreciate the technical research of the artists
dust, crushed insects
and other debris
Constellations
Joan Fontcuberta