The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) and the Sound Art Laboratory of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UB invite you to the day "Art and Science - Sonification and Astrophysics". This event, which will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, is a unique opportunity to explore the fascinating intersection between art and science through the sonification of astrophysical processes such as the interaction between galaxies or the collision of two black holes

A co-creation project

Doctoral students from the Institute of Cosmos Sciences and the Faculty of Fine Arts have worked together to explore new forms of artistic and scientific expression based on astrophysical phenomena. Through sonification, they have put sound to the interactions of our cosmos, creating an experience that allows us to see and feel the universe from new prisms.
 

Interdisciplinarity and new horizons

This project highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and artists and invites us to question the boundaries between these two disciplines, enriching current methodologies and giving rise to new perspectives.

PROGRAM

3PM - Welcome and introduction to the project
Xavier Luri (director of the ICCUB) and Martí Ruiz (director of the Master in Sound Art of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UB)

3:30PM - "Sonification of the gravitational lensing effect in gravitational waves"
Helena Ubach (ICCUB) and Jordi Espuny (Master in Sound Art, Faculty of Fine Arts UB) 

Gravitational waves are oscillations of space-time that are created, for example, in collisions of black holes. If these waves pass through another massive astrophysical object, they will suffer the so-called gravitational lensing effect, which will distort and deflect them. This effect can create multiple images of the same gravitational wave signal, and interference between them. For the sonification of this phenomenon, a device is proposed that could be seen as a miniaturized version of the large scientific devices that allow the detection of gravitational waves. This device-sculpture is an electronic device that allows you to generate and sonify gravitational waves, based on the equations that describe the physics of the phenomenon.

4PM - "Cosmic Accords: The Magellanic Clouds in Sound"
Joana Blochtein (Master in Sound Art, Faculty of Fine Arts UB), Marcel Bernet (ICCUB) and Óscar Jiménez (ICCUB)

In the collaborative and interdisciplinary project Acords Cosmics, astronomical data from a simulation of the interaction of the Magalhães Clouds is transformed into sound. This sonification process converts complex astronomical data—tracking the composition and motion of the galaxy—into spatial variables such as the frequency, volume, and spatialization of sound. The result is an immersive quadraphonic listening experience that allows visitors to "hear" the movement of the galaxy, offering a new sensory way to explore the science of the universe. The final exhibition provides an experience in which sound becomes a medium for spatial and scientific understanding, highlighting the potential of sonification to extend scientific inquiry beyond visual representation.

4:30PM - "Inaudible soundscape - Electromagnetic listening and space meteorology"
Ivonne Villamil (Master in Sound Art, Faculty of Fine Arts UB), Joan Manel Hernández (Faculty of Physics UB), Mikel R. Nieto (Master in Sound Art, Faculty of Fine Arts UB) and Blai Sanahuja (ICCUB)

In this first phase of joint exploration, two proposals were developed that address electromagnetism and meteorology through listening practices, field recording and low-tech devices for capturing physical and environmental phenomena. As a result, geolocalized sound experiences are generated that allow the public to experience a series of emissions and signals that are not audible to the human ear. These projects, carried out in collaboration between the Laboratorio de Art Sonor and the ICCUB, were presented at the Fiesta de la Ciencia UB 2024 and in the framework of Thousand Years of Sky - Ecologies of Sound, at the Fabra Observatory, an activity organized by Platform Vertices.

5PM - “Spiral: of composition and sonification”
Javier Sánchez (Master in Sound Art, Faculty of Fine Arts UB)

Throughout history female composers have used various compositional strategies. Some of them we can understand close to the notion of "mapping" or "projection" in which an object with multidimensional numerical information is translated into sound or musical notes. Creativity is found in the construction (or discovery) of the original object as the construction of the artifact that translates into parameters of a sound or musical terrain.

Sound Sculpture Exhibition 23-24/24-25

Attendees of the day will also have the opportunity to visit the Sound Sculpture Exhibition 23-24/24-25, which shows a selection of pieces in cast metal by the students of the subject of the same name as well as Final Degree Projects ( TFGs). The pieces, mostly in aluminum and bronze highlight the potential to work on the relationships between form, matter and sound.

The exhibition will be available in the Exhibition Hall of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UB from October 16.