On the occasion of the International Day of Light, which is celebrated on May 16, the Enrico Fermi Research Center (CREF) will open the doors of its Museum dedicated to Enrico Fermi for the site-specific exhibition Enlighting Covisions – Hybridations between physics art and design. The event will feature innovative design objects, interactive exhibits and contemporary artworks that, through their form and function, narrate fascinating optical phenomena, establishing a dialogue with the Museum’s permanent installations and history-rich spaces.
In a landscape where the communication of science crosses traditional boundaries to explore alternative spaces and engage an increasingly broad audience, interactive science exhibits and specially designed objects will be presented to investigate the intersections between physics, light science and art, with a special focus on vision and optical phenomena observable at different scales, from the macrocosm to the nanocosm. Topics such as
optical illusions, visual perception and astrophysical phenomena were selected for their strong communicative potential and ability to stimulate the public’s curiosity.
The exhibition, curated by and Elisabetta Baldanzi, Carla Giusti, Massimo Gurioli, Antigone Marino and Carla Langella, is a specific adaptation for CREF of the exhibition Design Covisions: The magic of light science and the project Enlighting Mind, a permanent exhibition hosted at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Florence that explores the physics of light and visual perception through works of art, optical illusions, physical phenomena, historical instruments and visual stimuli.
The exhibition is sponsored by a number of institutions, including Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza, the Department of Architecture DiARC of the University of Naples Federico II, the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Florence, theNational Institute of Optics CNR-INO, theInstitute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems CNR-ISASI “Eduardo Caianiello” and theCapodimonte Astronomical Observatory of INAF, and the Campania delegation of theADI Association for Industrial Design.
The design of the communicative artifacts and exhibition design is the work of young talents from the Graduate Program in Design for the Built Environment at the University of Naples Federico II, who actively collaborated with experts from different disciplines. The result is a
collection of material and digital artifacts that translate scientific principles into multisensory, interactive and evocative experiences, inviting visitors to become an integral part of the narrative through games of light, color and space.
Enlightening Covisions is a vivid demonstration of how the synergy between different professionalism and experience can generate innovative exhibition projects. In this dynamic context, the role of museums as collaborative platforms, capable of welcoming novel initiatives and fostering a fertile dialogue between their own history and existing collections with contemporary content, emerges strongly. This mutual openness between cultural institutions proves to be fundamental in the search for increasingly effective forms of communication capable of intercepting diverse audiences.
PROGRAM
17.30
Welcome and Institutional Greetings
Salvatore De Pasquale, Scientific Director, CREF
Riccardo Villari , President, Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza
Ersilia Menesini, Pro-rector of Education, University of Florence
Paolo De Natale, Acting Director CNR INO
Antonella Venezia, President ADI Associazione Disegno Industriale, Campania Delegation
17:45
Encounters between Art, Design, Science
Marina Apollonio, Artist
Carla Giusti, Ambassador, Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza
Massimo Gurioli, Professor of Physics of Matter at the Department of Physics and
Astronomy, University of Florence
Carla Langella, Professor of Design at the Department of Architecture, University
of Naples Federico II
18:15
Experimentations – Pathway between design, light games and physics
Tour of the exhibition in the halls of the Enrico Fermi Museum, through the suggestions of light and
reflections, of artists, scientists and designers who narrate the installations.
With the curators: Veronica Abbate, Marina Apollonio, Stella Battaglia, Franz Cerami,
Anna Fresa, Michele Ginolfi, Giovanna Nichilò, Camilla Amato, Alvise Zen
Press Contacts:
For CREF
anna.lopiano@cref.it
For Città della Scienza
valeria.grasso@cittadellascienza.it
For Enligthing Mind-UNIFI
Giovanna.pacini@unifi.it
ufficio.stampa@adm.unifi.i