Barcelona's CCCB reveals the art of quantum physics

'Quantum' is an international project that opens in Barcelona's Center of Contemporary Culture (CCCB) on Wednesday, bringing together art and science to reveal the principles of quantum physics.

Running until September 24, 'Quantum' began at Collide International, the flagship arts program at the CERN research organization, in which a group of artists took on the challenge of establishing a dialogue with engineers and particle physicists.

The result is an exhibition that brings together 10 artworks that reflect on the philosophical consequences of quantum physics and its technological applications, providing, according to curator Mónica Bello, an itinerary that "reveals an invisible world" to the visitor.

Scientific itinerary added to exhibit

The 10 works by international artists that make up the exhibition's artistic itinerary were first put on display in the FACT gallery in Liverpool, but the CCCB has expanded this by including a scientific itinerary to complete the artistic vision of quantum physics.

The union of the artistic and the scientific itineraries creates a multifaceted scenario that raises new questions and connections, helping the visitor to comprehend an apparently invisible reality and the impact it has on our lives.

"In the past 100 years, questions have arisen that by their nature were unanswerable. So much so that they could not be perceived by the senses," says Bello, who is co-curating the exhibition with José-Carlos Mariátegui, with advice from physicist José Ignacio.

Translating scientific research into art

The resident artists at CERN, the nuclear research center in Geneva that is home to the largest particle physics experiment in the world, interacted with the scientists there to offer reflections on their work by translating the researchers' models into art.

Among the projections, drawings, installations and sculptures in 'Quantum' are works by Semiconductor, Juan Cortés, Lea Porsager, Julieta Aranda, James Bridle and Suzanne Treister, all showing the impact of quantum physics beyond the sphere of science.

The exhibition is co-produced by ScANNER (Science and Art Network for New Exhibitions and Research), CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva), FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool), IMAL (Interactive Media Arts Laboratory, Brussels) and Le Lieu Unique (Nantes), as well as the CCCB.