The Visual Wonders of Science is a two-part exhibition presented by the EPFL Imaging Center in collaboration with Figure 1.A., featuring images and videos taken in the course of research on campus and/or by EPFL researchers. Some of them are presented to the public for the first time.
The Visual Wonders of Science is an exhibition of images emerging from EPFL laboratories, and from the imagination of the scientists who work there. The specific knowledge of each author meets their individual sensibilities to offer us a unique reading of the world around us. It is in this interaction between knowledge and feeling that we discover the real human beings behind the abstract figure of the scientist. We see them behind their microscopes, in the pale light of their computers, closing the door behind them at the end of the day.
Along the way, unknown facets of reality are revealed to us through their eyes. Our senses are sharpened, enhanced by the tools of these creative scientists. The most advanced microscopy techniques shed light on the patterns of life and the infinitely small. Stories are written in computer code and transcribed into images. Even everyday life is illuminated by new questions posed by the authors. For a moment, without knowing anything about their research, we share their sense of wonder and the curiosity that drives them.
The selection of images offers a scientific aesthetic, based on observation, interpretation and expression of the world around us. The singular approach of each author reminds us that in science as elsewhere, what we notice and what we say about it depends on our personal histories and our knowledge. No one can escape their own subjectivity. Attempting to understand the workings of the world does not mean taking away its mysteries. On the contrary, it means enriching each moment with new ideas, going beyond the obvious. Even the most prosaic elements of our lives can conceal secrets and wonders. Each image invites a dialogue between the scientists and the public, who in turn interpret their meaning based on their own experiences. — Coralie Peguet
Image: Patrick Aouad
Image: Omaya Dudin