#eco-techno-cosmo-logic: Starting a Dialogue Between Art and Physics
(all photos on this side: Jol Thoms and Diogo da Cruz)
In 2018, a group of students from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich (AdBK) became interested in the research activities of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1258 Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics. This initial curiosity evolved into an interdisciplinary dialogue that brought together young artists and physicists interested in exploring common questions about nature, technology, knowledge, and the universe.
The group adopted the name SFB42, combining the acronym of the Collaborative Research Centre with the number 42, famously described in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as “the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.”
#echo-techno-cosmo-logic: A Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Exchange
The first joint initiative between SFB1258 and SFB42 was the experimental programme #echo-techno-cosmo-logic, launched in autumn 2018. Conceived as a platform for exchange between art and science, the programme invited students from both disciplines to explore different ways of approaching and understanding the world.
The project began with a three-day workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. Bringing together equal numbers of physics and art students, the workshop encouraged participants to introduce their work, discuss their methods, and identify potential areas for collaboration. Researchers from SFB1258 presented their work on neutrinos and dark matter, while the students explored how scientific ideas might inspire artistic responses and vice versa.
Encountering Science at one of the World's Leading Underground Laboratories
A central part of the programme was an excursion to the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy, one of the world's leading underground particle-physics laboratories. The participants visited experiments studying rare particle processes and neutrino properties, gaining first-hand insights into the environments where fundamental research is conducted.
The trip combined scientific visits with workshops, discussions, and excursions in the Gran Sasso region. By experiencing both the underground laboratory and the surrounding landscape, participants were encouraged to reflect on the cultural, historical, and philosophical dimensions of scientific research.
From Exchange to Collaboration
The conversations and experiences developed during #echo-techno-cosmo-logic laid the foundation for a series of collaborative projects between artists and physicists. Among the first outcomes was the ‘transobjects’ project, which emerged directly from ideas explored during the workshop and the Gran Sasso excursion.
More broadly, SFB42 developed into an ongoing platform for interdisciplinary experimentation, fostering dialogue between contemporary artistic practice and fundamental physics. The initiative has since contributed to numerous collaborative projects and continues to demonstrate how art and science can inspire one another through a shared spirit of curiosity and exploration.
