Tag: research

MAX IV’s artist in residence project revealed: A visceral appeal to seed the future

MAX IV’s artist in residence project revealed: A visceral appeal to seed the future

MAX IV’s first artist in residence, Jennifer Rainsford has revealed her plans for a science-inspired artwork crafted with X-rays and experiences from the experimental halls of MAX IV. With insights from ForMAX, NanoMAX and other beamlines and the laser lab, her new exhibit and film will offer the public a fresh perspective and closer look at research conducted at Sweden’s large-scale research infrastructure, MAX IV.

The Artist in Residence programme is designed to highlight activities at MAX IV, while also spotlighting Lund University as Sweden’s leading cultural university by offering new contexts for artistic exploration and exposition. Thanks to generous funding by the Gyllenstiernska Krapperup Foundation, a chosen artist is offered an onsite residency to learn about the science and the 4th generation synchrotron in order to develop an artistic project which reflects current research or techniques in X-ray science.

“This programme offers a rare chance for talented professionals in vastly different fields to collaborate. Artists and scientists are both curious and creative, and it is those qualities that lead to new ways of thinking and new discoveries,” said Heidi LaGrasta, MAX IV Outreach Officer and co-coordinator for the Artist in Residence programme. “I am eager to see what happens when we dissolve the boundaries between these two fields and allow for a more expansive understanding and investigation of research here at MAX IV.”

Read more on the MAX IV website

Image: Goldenrod in a field

Credit: Hans Benn/ Pixabay

“Research, a collective adventure”

“Research, a collective adventure”

Through a series of portraits, SOLEIL sets out to meet the people who make the synchrotron what it is. For this sixth episode, Edwige Otero, a scientist on DEIMOS—one of SOLEIL’s 29 beamlines—agreed to take part.

Driven from an early age by the joy of understanding, Edwige Otero naturally gravitated toward research. But just as important was her desire to contribute to a collective endeavour, one in which knowledge and discoveries are shared. From Lorraine to Canada, from chemistry to physics, her path reflects a constant passion for science and dialogue.

“Truth be told, I didn’t choose research; I simply followed my interest in science, step by step, and that’s where it led me.” When asked about the origins of her career, Edwige Otero, now a scientist on the DEIMOS beamline at SOLEIL, takes us back to her childhood. “There was no predetermined path, but rather a sensitive, open-minded upbringing and a “sincere and collective investment in the pursuit of knowledge.”

“I was lucky to grow up in a family where reflection and curiosity mattered a lot, where people always took the time to answer our questions,” she explains. “Wondering, asking, and trying to understand became second nature,” she adds. “It’s such an exhilarating feeling when you finally realise: so that’s how it works!”

“All I wanted was to be older”
In the days before the Internet, Edwige learned to look for answers wherever she could: in books, museums, exhibitions, open days… Her first physics–chemistry teacher also played a decisive role: “He made you want to understand everything,” she recalls. “He often took us beyond the official curriculum, and whenever he did, he would say: you’ll learn that later. All I wanted was to be older already.”

Read more on the SOLEIL website