Explore 'Art and the Quantum World' at Fermi exhibit
The work of Lindsay Olson, a former Fermilab artist in residence, will be featured at the "Art and the Quantum World" exhibit in the Fermilab Art Gallery on the second floor of Wilson Hall, off Pine Street in Batavia.
The opening reception will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23. The exhibit will continue through Nov. 23.
There will be a Gallery Talk at noon Wednesday, Oct. 5.
The art gallery is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays; sign in at the Wilson Hall atrium reception desk.
Visit www.fnal.gov/pub/Art_Gallery/.
Olson's artistic practice grows out of an intense curiosity about the ways society is supported by science and technology. She uses her training to create art about the hidden realities of our world. As Fermilab's first artist in residence in 2014-15, she worked with scientists, members of the operations crew, and numerous staff throughout the lab to learn the basics of high-energy physics. She was inspired to create a body of work that reflects the beauty of the research and the dedication of the scientists at Fermilab.
The project sheds light on both the smallest frontiers and the structure of the universe: the subatomic realm of neutrinos, quarks and leptons as well as the research into dark matter and dark energy. Olson is fascinated by the behavior of nature's fundamental building blocks that make up all that we see. She views the project as an ideal way to invite others with little or no technical background to explore the very underpinnings of reality itself.
Olson is now on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago. She is known for creating unusual residencies including a stint as the resident artist at Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, the Chicago Tribune, SciArt in America and the Chicago Artist Resource. She has shown her work in many galleries in the U.S. and internationally including in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Greece. Her work is currently touring both the U.S. and in Europe. To learn more about Olson, visit www.lindsayolsonart.com.
The artist in residence program provides artists an opportunity to collaborate with Fermilab and its scientific community and to translate observations into art. The program's objective is for the artist to learn what Fermilab does, why this work is important and then use this information to create a body of work based on the findings. The program aims to increase the laboratory's connection to the artistic community and open up a pathway to a new target audience, thus increasing public appreciation for the laboratory and for particle physics research.
This convergence of art and science occurs daily in the Fermilab Art Gallery. It is a space for art exhibitions, chamber music concerts and where the top quark and big bang are debated over coffee. It is also a quiet space for contemplation and beauty.