Maxxi L'Aquila - Museo nazionale delle arti del XX secolo
12.03.2022 - 12.06.2022
In Itinere - Gran Sasso
The commissioned project was carried out in collaboration with the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) and the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (LNGS-INFN). Through consultation and collaboration with the scientists, Linke explored the tools of scientific discovery, archival images and on-going research.
The Gran Sasso Science Institute is an international PhD school and center for research and higher education in the areas of physics, mathematics, computer science and the social sciences attracting to L’Aquila young people from all over the globe and professors from Italian and foreign universities, making it a truly international scientific community. The Institute is a center for multidisciplinary research, where particle physics is interwoven with the social sciences, gravitational waves with life’s equations, algorithms with earthquake simulation and the economic development of inland areas.
The Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso are the largest and most important underground labs for cosmic particle physics. The labs are situated below 1400 meters of rock, which shields the particles from cosmic radiation so that research can be carried out that is fundamental to our understanding of the Universe. It hosts around 20 experiments led by International collaborations with more than 1000 researchers coming from 29 countries.
Linke visited the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso to learn more about the experiments underway and the Gran Sasso Science Institute, where he spoke with theoretical physicists about broad theories in astrophysics. The pieces on display prompt reflection on how crucial photography and detectors are to research and discovery, while the video interviews offer an introduction to the world of physics and astrophysics. The topic of how the world is portrayed in science and art is central here: the “human” factor is key and legitimizes, according to its own processes, some of the studied phenomena. Armin Linke’s skill lies not only in his ability to depict the detectors the physicists build, but even in his way of portraying scientists, who, like artists, are constantly questioning themselves about reality and perception.
Curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi and Fanny Borel
Courtesy Galleria Vistamare Pescara/Milano
