Vernissage

Spirit of an explorer, soul of an artist

On 12 - 14 September, the Cultural Centre "Mir" hosted the technological art exhibition "Potok". Its authors were students and graduates of ArtTECH at the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow's first master's programme where new projects at the intersection of science, art and technology are born.

For ten days, within the framework of the "Dubna laboratory" expedition, students explored the basic facilities and departments of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, as well as the city's history and landmarks.

On 13 September, a meeting was held at the Scientists' Club, where our guests discussed their understanding of technological art, why they had chosen this field and their investigations. In their master's programme, they learn to work with neural networks, robots, VR and AR technologies, CNC machines, 3D printers, projection technologies and music design. Their projects embody their artistic vision, understanding of reality, associations and imagination.

The exhibition projects are billed as "a synthesis of contemporary art and cutting-edge science in the form of multimedia installations, interactive objects and sound performances". All of them require careful investigation, listening to the accompanying soundtrack, or listening to the authors' explanations. For example, "Artist's marmalade" was created using the artists' own cells - collagen extracted from them was used to create the gummy hearts. Thus, living material becomes a tool for physical expression. The installation "Whisper of pain" demonstrates the psychosomatic impact of harsh and aggressive phrases on the human body. The "Anatomy of air" project makes the process of breathing visible - the air acquires color, texture and movement. The Dubna expedition also gave birth to new ideas. One of them related library shelves with electronic circuit boards, displaying copies of the journal "Mathematics and Physics" and table lamps from the Dubna Hotel, remnants of the old interiors.

The audience's reaction to such innovative ideas was predictable: from a confused "I don't understand anything here" to a sarcastic "So what?" Nevertheless, visitors lingered at the stands for long periods, listening, examining and asking questions. This is how inspiration is transmitted, ideas and relations are born. This is how physics was once developed - from attention to detail, observation and experimentation.

Galina MYALKOVSKAYA,
photo by the author
 

A literature exhibition dedicated to the theory of relativity
organized at the JINR Science & Technology Library

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the special theory of relativity (STR) and 110 years ago (in 1915), Einstein laid the foundations for the general theory of relativity (GTR).

In 1905, Albert Einstein's article "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies" was published in the journal Annalen der Physik, in which he first described what later became known as the special theory of relativity. According to Stephen Hawking, Einstein wrote the 9,000-word text in just five weeks, yet science historians consider this paper as fundamental and revolutionary as Newton's great Principia. The exhibition features approximately 80 books, collections and journal articles by Russian and international authors dedicated to the theory of relativity, the history of its creation, its experimental foundations and the development of its understanding. The papers of the great physicist are also on display. Of particular interest are the two volumes of the seminal Collected Scientific Papers of Albert Einstein (Publishing House "Nauka", 1965), the first in the world literature; as well as the original Princeton University edition (1989) of "The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein" Vol. 2: The Swiss Years: Writings, 1900-1909; Vol. 6: The Berlin Years: Writings, 1914-1917.

A number of journal articles and preprints on special relativity written by our Institute's staff are on display.

The exhibition is open until 26 September. Welcome to the STL.