This November, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus invites visitors to step inside the world of particle physics with HALO, an immersive artwork that transforms real scientific data into a spectacular experience of light, sound and movement.
Created by internationally acclaimed artist duo Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, who work together as Semiconductor, HALO uses data from particle collisions at CERN to reveal the hidden patterns and processes that help scientists understand the fundamental building blocks of our universe.
Visitors can enter HALO’s vast cylindrical structure and become immersed in a 360-degree projection, with patterns of light moving all around them. The same scientific data activates 384 vertical wires, transforming the installation into an immense musical instrument. By slowing down collisions that take place in fractions of a second, HALO reveals movements and patterns that would otherwise be beyond human perception.
Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, from Semiconductor, said: “We’re interested in finding ways to make scientific processes that are usually invisible or impossible to experience directly feel tangible. With HALO, the data becomes something you can move through and listen to, as well as see. We hope visitors come away with a different sense of the complexity hidden within the world around us.”
The installation has a particular resonance at Harwell Campus, which has decades of expertise in designing and building particle accelerators, including instruments used at CERN to the stadium- sized machines on campus like Diamond Light Source, one of 14 world-leading national science labs, where scientists investigate matter and materials at the atomic and molecular scale.
Adrian Mancuso, Director of Physical Sciences at Diamond Light Source, said: “Particle accelerators allow scientists to explore the structure and behaviour of matter in extraordinary detail. This helps us answer fundamental questions about the universe, as well as probe how our world works through more applied science.
"HALO offers a different way to connect with this science, translating the data generated by particle collisions into an experience people can see, hear and feel. It’s a powerful example of how art can share scientific ideas and inspire curiosity about the research happening around us.”
Alongside HALO, a varied programme of activities will invite people to experience the campus in new ways, bringing together science, creativity and wellbeing. From yoga sessions and silent discos to talks exploring science and innovation, the programme will offer opportunities for visitors to engage with HALO and discover more about the research and people behind Harwell’s scientific community.
The installation forms part of Harwell’s year-long Light Project, celebrating 80 years of innovation. The campus has already hosted the Museum of the Moon, BODY, outdoor cinema screenings, Luminarium, talks and collaborative projects, all designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators.
Rebecca Duvall, Head of Community at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, said: “Harwell has spent 80 years bringing people together to tackle some of the biggest scientific challenges of our time. The Light Project is an opportunity to share the campus’ story, welcoming people onto campus to experience science in new and unexpected ways. HALO, alongside our wider programme of events, creates space for curiosity, creativity and connection, showing that science is something everyone can engage with.”
HALO will be hosted at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus throughout November.