AIS3 [aiskju:b]: An Immersive Exploration of Neutrinos through Art and Sound
AIS³ [aiskju:b], the immersive light and sound installation by Tim Otto Roth, on display in the Reaktorhalle in Munich in February 2019. (Photos: Andreas Heddergott/TUM)
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is the world's largest neutrino detector. Hidden deep within the Antarctic ice, its 86 strings and more than 5,000 optical modules instrument a cubic kilometre of ice, making the detector both enormous and entirely invisible to the human eye.
This unique characteristic inspired a long-term collaboration between conceptual artist Tim Otto Roth and Dr. Christian Spiering (DESY Zeuthen), former spokesperson of the IceCube Collaboration. Their shared ambition was to create a work that would make the hidden world of neutrino astronomy accessible through artistic experience.
Making the Invisible Visible
The result was AIS³ [aiskju:b] (Astroparticle Immersive Synthesizer), a large-scale installation that combines sculpture, sound laboratory, and psychoacoustic experiment. First presented in Berlin in 2018, the installation reconstructs the geometry of the IceCube detector on a reduced scale. Within an almost cubic volume measuring approximately 8 × 8 × 7 metres, 444 illuminated spheres are suspended on 37 vertical strings, creating an immersive environment inspired by the architecture of IceCube.
Each sphere houses a loudspeaker and an LED. The resulting patterns of light and sound are based on simplified representations of particle events recorded by IceCube. As visitors move through the installation, they encounter dynamic visual and acoustic interpretations of neutrino interactions and high-energy particles traversing the detector. The work transforms scientific data into an experiential landscape in which light, space, and sound offer a new perspective on the otherwise invisible universe of neutrinos.
AIS³ as a Public Outreach Project of SFB1258
In February 2019, the Collaborative Research Centre SFB1258 "Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics" brought AIS³ [aiskju:b] to Munich. The installation was presented in the Reaktorhalle, an extraordinary performance venue operated by the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and located in the former Institute of Technical Physics of the Technical University of Munich.
The exhibition formed a central public-outreach activity of the SFB1258 General Meeting. Following its transport from Berlin, the installation was assembled in Munich by a joint team of students and researchers under the direction of Tim Otto Roth.
Opening Night in the Reaktorhalle
The exhibition officially opened on 8 February 2019. Guests were welcomed by Prof. Elisa Resconi, spokesperson of SFB1258, who introduced the centre's activities at the intersection of science, art, and public engagement. The opening programme further featured presentations by artists Jol Thomson and Diogo da Cruz, as well as contributions from researchers and students affiliated with SFB1258 and the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. The highlight of the evening was the first activation of the installation in Munich by Tim Otto Roth and Christian Spiering.
Public Engagement and Educational Outreach
During the public exhibition weekend on 9 and 10 February 2019, approximately 1,500 visitors experienced AIS³ [aiskju:b] in the Reaktorhalle. The exhibition received considerable media attention, including coverage by the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
The educational programme accompanying the exhibition culminated in a dedicated school day on 11 February 2019, attended by approximately 250 secondary-school students from several Munich schools. The programme included talks on contemporary cosmology and astroparticle physics by researchers of SFB1258, offering students insights into current scientific questions concerning neutrinos, dark matter, and the evolution of the universe.
Following its presentation in Munich, AIS³ [aiskju:b] was shown at the Ludwig Forum Aachen from September to November 2019, continuing its exploration of the dialogue between contemporary art and fundamental physics.
AIS³ [aiskju:b] was supported by:
The presentation of AIS³ [aiskju:b] in Munich was realized with the kind support of:
Elisa Resconi & Tim Otto Roth on AIS3 [aiskju:b]
Über das AIS3 [aiskju:b] Projekt
Video (Deutsch) der RWTH Aachen
