DARK DISTORTIONS
Uncovering Dark Matter
Dark Matter is unseeable,
but we have discovered where it is hiding.
It reveals itself by bending the light as it travels through space. This is called gravitational lensing.
This art installation bends light, just like dark matter, allowing you to experience the elegance of this discovery.
‘Dark Distortions’ is created in collaboration with cosmologist Henk Hoekstra of Leiden University, and European Space Agency. It is inspired by Euclid, an upcoming ESA mission to study the mysterious nature of dark matter and dark energy, which is set to launch in mid-2022.
Dark matter is believed to make up 85% of the matter in the universe. Visible matter within galaxies, such as stars, planets, and dust, lacks sufficient gravitational pull to prevent galaxies from disintegrating as they rotate. However, galaxies do not break apart in this way, so astrophysicists suggested the existence of “dark” matter with sufficient mass to keep galaxies intact, yet which has never been directly observed.
“The work uncovers the unseeable nature of dark matter in front of your eyes. It shows how magical and powerful it is when art and science come together. Visitors experience how big scientific discoveries can be beautifully complex and simple at the same time.”
“We go for abstraction. We have a model of the universe that is very abstract and far from how our senses experience the world.
This artwork takes this abstraction and tries to make it something that connects to our senses. It is a very interesting synergy.
”
The art installation consists of a constellation of moving lenses, which bend light just as large concentrations of dark matter act as gravitational lenses. The constellation is surrounded by layers of lenses on lenses, which represent the way in which dark matter is thought to accumulate in a fractal-like pattern.
Henk Hoekstra of Leiden University, who is the cosmology coordinator of the Euclid mission, helped to inspire the work.
Commissioned by
Science Gallery Dublin
In collaboration with
European Space Agency (ESA)
Cosmologist
Henk Hoekstra
Created by
Woven Studio
Technical Lead
Kees Plattel
Engineer
Casper van der Meer
Studio Director
Sophie de Krom
Soundscape
End of Time
With special thanks to
Melanie Kool, Lode Dijkers, Jacco Gardner, Niels Post, the team of Science Gallery, Alison Goddard, Jeroen Scharroo
Press
and
Awards