Artwork by Ian Andrews from 'The Sketchbook and the Collider' exhbition at the University of Birmingham Festival of Arts & Science 2018
Sketch from The Sketchbook and the Collider exhibition, image credit: © Ian Andrews, 2017

On first inspection, the worlds of art and particle physics may not appear to have much in common. A new free exhibition, the sketchbook and the collider, launching next month at the University of Birmingham's Arts & Science Festival, aims to reveal their shared connections.

The exhibition is the work of Ian Andrews, this year's Artist in Residence at the University of Birmingham's Research and Cultural Collections department. Every year, the scheme gives an artist a unique chance to engage with the diverse range of research and cultural collections held at the University.

Andrews compares the sketchbook and the collider as places where different elements are brought together in active processes. Both artist and physicist ask: can we better understand the world around us by examining the visible traces of hidden interactions? 

The Sketchbook and the Collider opens at the Rotunda Gallery, Aston Webb Building on 12 March and runs until 4 May 2018. Normal opening hours are 9am – 6pm weekdays.

As part of the festival, Ian will be holding a free meet the artist event in collaboration with Birmingham particle physicist Dr Kostas Nikolopoulos between 10am and 4pm on Monday 12 March 2018. Guests will be invited to view and discuss a series of hand-drawn artists’ books created with water based-ink on tissue paper.

The University of Birmingham’s Arts & Science Festival is a week-long free celebration of research, culture and collaboration across campus and beyond. This year's festival runs takes place 12 - 18 March. Each year, artists, academics and university partners deliver a programme of concerts, exhibitions, screenings, talks and workshops in response to a festival theme. To find out more, please follow the link below:

Arts & Science Festival, 12 - 18 March

The Sketchbook and the Collider opens at the Rotunda Gallery, Aston Webb Building on 12 March and runs until 4 May 2018. Normal opening hours are 9am – 6pm weekdays.