ENRICO MAGNANI

An exhibition project to develop and promote interdisciplinary collaboration interdisciplinary collaboration between the world of art and the world of science for a new vision and understanding of reality

THE PROJECT

curated by Kerstin Petrick and Marilena Streit-Bianchi

LIGHT IN THE DARK is an exhibition project aimed at developing and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between the worlds of Art and Science to produce a more conscious and related vision of the reality in which we live. This vision leads to deeper reflections on the complex dynamics of the human being, its origin and relationship with the surrounding environment. The project presents, through artistic representation (phosphorescent, fluorescent works and video projections), explanatory texts, interactive tools, lectures and books, some of the most fascinating and mysterious aspects of cosmology and contemporary physics: Supernovae, Multiverse and Dark Matter and Energy, making them easily accessible to a wide audience, highlighting and reinforcing understanding and awareness of the close relationship between man, art and science. A great opportunity to engage a wide audience and draw attention to the link between Art and Science. Reminding us that everything is in everything, ‘Light in the Dark’ links the macrocosm to the microcosm, the universe to man, science to transcendence; a hymn to life, its complexity and its magic. In the past, art, science and transcendence have been highly integrated and today they are once again trying to work together in what many are already calling "A New Renaissance".

the history of the project

The project now called ‘Light in the Dark’ began spontaneously in 2017 with the first exhibition of the painting cycle "Supernova" at the Italian Institute of Cultural in Chicago and later, in 2018, at the Sala del Cenacolo at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome. Subsequently, the exhibition project became more clearly delineated, increasingly highlighting the link between Art and Science and also entering purely scientific venues. The exhibition continued
at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), in Geneva in 2019 and again in the same year in L'Aquila at GSSI (Gran Sasso Science Institute) on the occasion of the National Congress of the Italian Physical Society - SIF. In 2020, a permanent installation - "Quintessence" -representing astro-particle physics will be set up at the LNGS (Gran Sasso National Laboratory) - INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), in Assergi (AQ). In 2022, Light in the Dark is presented at the "Gravitas Fest" in Cagliari, organised and promoted by INFN (Cagliari section). In 2023, the ICHEP (High Energy Particles) International Conference hosted the Light in the Dark exhibition at the Sala Borsa in Bologna. The same exhibition was repeated in an augmented version at the Genoa Science Festival, at the historic venue of the University Library.

"Searching the Unknown" | CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) - Geneva, 2019

"Searching the Unknown" | SIF National Congress (Italian Physical Society) - GSSI (Gran Sasso Science Institute), L'Aquila, 2019

"Quintessence" | Permanent Installation at LNGS (Gran Sasso National Laboratory) - Assergi (L'Aquila), 2020

"Light in the Dark" | ICHEP (International Conference on High Energy Particles), Sala Borsa, Bologna, 2022

"Light in the Dark" | University Library - Science Festival - Genova, 2023

A universal language between art and science

Enrico Magnani - an artist with a past as a researcher in the field of nuclear fusion - performs a unique operation: translating the great mysteries of modern cosmology into an immediate and engaging visual vocabulary. Through his artistic research, concepts such as Supernovae, Multiverse, Matter and Dark Energy abandon theoretical abstraction to become sensorial and intellectual experiences accessible to all.

A Multidisciplinary Project

His work develops as an integrated ecosystem, where art, science and popularisation dialogue seamlessly: Phosphorescent (glowing in the dark) and fluorescent (activated by UV light) paintings, these works are not mere representations, but material metaphors for cosmic phenomena. Each work becomes a perceptual experiment, transforming the viewer into an active explorer.

Immersive Video Installations

The works come to life through digital animations (morphing) projected onto architecture and inflatable spheres, creating evolving cosmic landscapes. The outdoor projections multiply the impact, bringing the cosmic infinite into dialogue with urban space.

Participatory Education

The lectures - real border zones between disciplines - draw unprecedented connections between art and science, from the Renaissance to the frontiers of current research.

SUPERNOVAE AND DARK MATTER

Art and Science with a universal message

The material ejected by the Supernova, that colossal nuclear explosion that marks the end of a star, becomes the seed for the birth of new stars. Thus, this phenomenon becomes a powerful symbol of cosmic cyclicity, where death merges with rebirth. But there is more: in these catastrophic events, elements heavier than iron are generated that are fundamental to the existence of life as we know it. The Supernova, then, is not just an object of astronomical study, but a true archetype of profound significance.

The artistic journey inspired by this phenomenon continues: from the Supernova painting cycle, started in 2017, we arrive at the ‘Dark Matter’ series of 2018. Here, a key element is added to the stellar explosion: phosphorescence, a metaphor for Dark Matter - the greatest enigma of modern astrophysics. What we observe with our instruments is in fact only an infinitesimal fraction of reality.

In the works, the phosphorescent pigment is present but invisible to ordinary light; it only reveals itself in the darkness, completely transforming the perception of the work. It is a perfect analogy with Dark Matter: it exists, but to grasp it we have to change perspective. Just as art hides unexpected layers, the universe conceals mysteries that science will have to unveil, teaching us to look at the world with new eyes.

MULTIVERSE: A JOURNEY THROUGH PARALLEL UNIVERSES

Quantum and Inflationary Multiverse

Created in 2018, ‘Multiverse’ is a collection by Enrico Magnani that explores the frontiers of the cosmos, belonging to his broader cosmological cycle. Inspired by the boldest scientific theories, the artist imagines a reality in which our universe is but one among infinite parallel worlds, each governed by unique physical laws.

Quantum universes: reality as a superposition of possibilities

Some works, such as Quantum Multiverse No.1, translate the quantum multiverse hypothesis into visual form: a projection on a cosmic scale of the same rules that guide subatomic particles. In this vision, each event could generate a ramification of reality, giving rise to an incalculable number of universes, each with a different destiny.

Cosmic inflation and bubble worlds

Other creations, such as Inflationary Multiverse No. 3, are instead based on the theory of inflationary multiverse. According to this model, during the very early stages of the Big Bang, the chaotic expansion of space-time would have generated isolated ‘bubbles’, each a universe in its own right. Separated by insurmountable energy barriers, these worlds would remain forever beyond our reach, condemning us to eternal mystery.

Through ‘Multiverse’, Magnani not only reflects on the structure of existence, but also invites us to question ourselves: what if we were just a fragment of an infinitely larger picture?

Dark Energy": An Interactive Experience Between Light and Cosmic Mystery

Enrico Magnani's series, ‘Dark Energy’ (2021), fuses art and science in a luminous dialogue that directly involves the viewer. Two key elements characterise it: A phosphorescent pigment, which stores ambient light and then slowly releases it into the darkness, creating a mysterious and autonomous glow. A fluorescent pigment, invisible to the naked eye, which only activates under the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light, triggered by the audience itself.

Interactivity is essential: when the viewer illuminates the work with a UV torch, the fluorescent pigment reacts instantly, generating dynamic lighting effects. Meanwhile, the phosphorescent one persists in the dark, like a silent echo. This duality transforms the work into a participatory experience, where light and darkness become languages through which art responds to the viewer.

Supernova Dark Energy - Butterfly No.1

Left: artwork with natural light - Center: artwork with ultraviolet light - Right: artwork in the dark

A universe in miniature

Every creation of ‘Dark Energy’ is a cosmic metaphor:

Ordinary Matter is what we see in natural light. Dark Matter is represented by persistent luminescence, invisible until we immerse ourselves in darkness. Dark Energy is only revealed through active interaction (UV light), symbolising the invisible forces that shape the cosmos.

Beyond science: a lesson in perception

Just as space-time changes according to the tools with which we explore it, so everyday reality is transformed according to the lenses we choose: physical, emotional or cognitive. Dark Matter' is not only an astrophysical enigma, but also an invitation to rethink our view of the world. Sometimes, all it takes is a change of perspective - in research as in life - to discover unexpected dimensions, richer and more complex than we imagine.

DARK MATTER ROOM: An Immersive Experience Between Light and Invisible

The Dark Matter Room represents a conceptual and sensory evolution in contemporary art, where technology and perception come together to explore the boundaries of the visible. This site-specific environment is designed to accommodate hybrid installations, combining dynamic video projections with phosphorescent pigmented works, both strategically activated by the absence of light.

In this space, darkness is not a limitation, but an expressive medium. The works, invisible under traditional lighting, gradually reveal themselves to the viewer's eyes.

The experience is both intimate and cosmic. On the one hand, the visitor becomes an active part of the discovery, adapting his or her vision to the environment; on the other, the room metaphorically evokes the enigma of dark matter - that which exists but eludes our direct observation.

INSTALLATIONS: COSMIC IMMERSION

Dialectic between Art, Science and Technology

The exhibition establishes a contemporary dialogue between artistic languages and scientific investigation through a multimedia approach. The installations, conceived as total sensory environments, reconfigure the exhibition space into a borderland between physical perception and digital abstraction. At the heart of the path are the environmental video projections, deployed on surfaces, which can also envelop the spectator within the cosmological phenomenon represented. These dynamic creations, generated from real works animated with ‘Morphing’ technology, simulate the evolution of supernovas or the formation of nebulae, translated into an abstract colour language. Another distinctive element are the inflatable spheres placed or suspended, which radically reconfigure the traditional concept of pictorial surfaces: some act as three-dimensional canvases, with images of celestial bodies printed in high definition, others become screens for spherical video projections.

This synergy between different mediums generates an aesthetic of complexity that deconstructs the hierarchy between physical medium and digital content and transforms the visitor from observer to co-author of the visual experience. The exhibition does not merely represent scientific themes, but adopts the method: experimentation, participatory observation and continuous redefinition of perceptual paradigms. In this liminal space between real and virtual, each installation becomes a laboratory for questioning the very mechanisms of vision and our relationship with technologies that amplify the senses.

An invitation to radically rethink not only how we see art, but how art can redefine the way we see the world.

ILLUMINATED DIALOGUES

Conferences between Art, Science and Beyond

In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of interdisciplinary talks is offered, transforming the exhibition space into a lively laboratory of ideas. This lecture series brings together artists, scientists, poets and musicians involved in the ‘Light in the Dark’ project, creating a unique platform to explore the unexpected connections between seemingly distant disciplines.

A Polyphonic Approach to Knowledge

Each meeting is conceived as a conceptual experiment, where: Artists reveal how science influences their creative process, Researchers show how the artistic approach can revolutionise scientific communication, Poets and Musicians demonstrate the existence of a universal language combining artistic intuition and methodological rigour.

Audience and Participation

The programme is designed to involve a heterogeneous audience: students of all levels, for whom it represents an opportunity for unconventional orientation, enthusiasts, who may discover unexpected points of contact between their interests, professionals (artists and scientists), stimulated to rethink the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

Objectives and Perspectives

This cycle is not limited to presenting content, but aims to: democratise science through the narrative power of art, amplify artistic research with scientific tools and methodologies, generate new collaborations between worlds that traditionally communicate little, reveal how art and science share the same essence: curiosity, observation and the will to explore the unknown.

‘Light in the Dark’ thus becomes a veritable cultural ecosystem, where each lecture is an invitation to see beyond pre-established categories, demonstrating that great discoveries - both artistic and scientific - are often born at the borders of knowledge.

VIDEO clip

Supernova - The Dark Matter Collection

click to watch

A Site-Specific Project

Light in the Dark is a site-specific luminous installation conceived for culturally significant spaces where art and innovation converge. Designed for contemporary museums, research institutions, and architecturally distinguished venues, the project thrives in spaces offering at least 5 meters of vertical clearance and complete light control capabilities, ideally complemented by adjacent areas suitable for educational programming.

The work's modular nature creates an evolving conversation between light and space, with each iteration thoughtfully reconfigured to respond to its host environment's unique architectural DNA. This adaptive approach ensures every presentation becomes a singular experience, transforming the venue into a laboratory of luminous possibilities.

Technical documentation and hosting inquiries may be directed to: mail@enricomagnani-art.com