TUM and AdBK Unite with Haus der Kunst to Merge Astrophysics and Art in Groundbreaking Project on Neutrinos and Dark Matter

TUM and AdBK Unite with Haus der Kunst to Merge Astrophysics and Art in Groundbreaking Project on Neutrinos and Dark Matter

(IN BRIEF) Researchers at TUM and artists from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich are teaming up with Haus der Kunst for a four-year project that explores dark matter and neutrinos through artistic collaboration. Supported by the DFG and TUM’s SFB 1258, the initiative includes lectures, joint seminars, and visits to major research sites, culminating in an exhibition in 2028. Led by physicist Elisa Resconi and artist Armin Linke, the project delves into how science and art can co-create new forms of knowledge and public engagement.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 24-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A unique collaboration between science and art is taking shape in Munich. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and artists from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich (AdBK), in partnership with the Haus der Kunst, are launching an interdisciplinary four-year project exploring the invisible realms of the universe—neutrinos and dark matter—through a creative and critical lens.

The initiative, supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1258 “Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics”, will pair scientists with AdBK’s photography class to artistically reflect on twelve years of scientific inquiry. The culmination of the collaboration will be presented in 2028 at the renowned Haus der Kunst.

The project will be jointly led by Elisa Resconi, Professor of Experimental Physics of Cosmic Particles at TUM and spokesperson for SFB 1258, and Armin Linke, internationally recognized photography and video artist, who joined AdBK as a professor in 2024. Working closely with a dedicated curator and Haus der Kunst, the project is designed to explore how scientific and artistic methodologies intersect, particularly in developing new ways to visualize and communicate the mysteries of astrophysics.

“This collaboration has deepened our understanding of our own scientific research,” says Elisa Resconi. “It’s also a remarkable opportunity to explore how art can help translate complex cosmic phenomena into more relatable, human-centered narratives.”

For Armin Linke, the project serves as a laboratory for intellectual cross-pollination: “We aim to question how perception and aesthetics shape scientific knowledge. What happens when we embed artistic intuition into environments typically defined by technical precision and empirical rigor?”

The initiative begins in the summer semester with ‘Physics & Art Mondays’, a lecture series hosted at AdBK that fosters dialogue between artists, scientists, and the public. Joint seminars and research trips will follow, taking students to leading institutions such as CERN, the European Southern Observatory in Garching, and the underground Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy.

To mark the project’s launch, Haus der Kunst will host an Open House evening on 25 April 2025. The highlight will be a presentation by artist Jol Thoms, whose ongoing sound installation Radio Amnion broadcasts commissioned audio works into the Pacific Ocean. The underwater station is integrated into the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE), offering a poetic intersection of art, physics, and the deep sea.

This collaboration not only celebrates the fusion of disciplines but also reimagines the cultural role of fundamental research—and how art can help make the invisible visible.

Further information and links

• SFB 1258: Neutrinos und Dunkle Materie in der Astro- und Teilchenphysik
• Haus der Kunst
• Radio Amnion

Media Contacts:

Petra Riedel und Ulrich Meyer
Corporate Communications Center
presse@tum.de

Contacts to this article:

Prof. Dr. Elisa Resconi
Technische Universität München (TUM)
Lehrstuhl für Experimental Physics with Cosmic Particles

TUM School of Natural Sciences
Sprecherin des SFB 1258
+49 89 289 12422
elisa.resconi@tum.de

Prof. Armin Linke
Akademie der Bildenden Künste München
Professur für Fotografie
armin.linke@adbk.mhn.de

SOURCE: Technical University of Munich