Exploring the Invisible – 3rd Edition

Exploring the Invisible, a Thrilling Visual Journey     

Hold on to your hats, because the scientific photography exhibition, “Exploring the Invisible”, is coming to MUMONS for a 3rd edition, and we’re planning to blow your mind! 

As soon as you enter the museum, you’ll be transported by the photographs that unfold before your eyes, taking you into surprising yet very real worlds! 

A few months ago, the MUMONS team embarked on a wonderful adventure: collecting and selecting the most beautiful scientific images obtained in the University’s laboratories, with the intention of exhibiting them as genuine works of art.  Somewhere between scientific research and contemporary art, you will discover things that usually cannot be seen, because they are too small or too far away, because they are hidden or too abstract. 

A photo exhibition where the invisible becomes visible!    

Ready for adventure?  Fasten your seatbelts and take off into the depths of the Cosmos, where you’ll encounter nebulae and galaxies that seem to engage in an infinite cosmic ballet. It’ll leave you speechless! 

Plunge into the astonishing microcosm of the infinitely small, to meet the sometimes monstrous creatures that lead their lives far from prying eyes… or so they think. Thanks to the magic of technology and the patience of researchers, they will be revealed as grandiose as the immensity of a cathedral!  You’ll even be able to penetrate the intimacy of matter, probing the unexplored depths of materials. 

Most of the photos come directly from research carried out by researchers at the University of Mons. In the course of their explorations, they have been able to capture moments where art meets reality.  Today, they are sharing these snapshots with us that have so much to say about the beauty of the world, the fascinating daily lives of their subjects, and the big and small issues of our time. 

Let Your Senses Marvel! 

By discovering these works of art created by nature itself, you will witness the power of cutting-edge technologies used in contemporary research.  These technologies allow us to expand the limits of our field of vision!  You’ll discover the hidden mysteries of mimicry, revealing Mother Nature’s best-kept secrets, and play a game of “Where’s Wally?” with shrimps and other abyssal creatures, veritable experts in camouflage. 

Come and enjoy an extraordinary sensory experience with your family, a cross between science and art, where the boundary between the visible and the invisible becomes blurred, offering you moments of wonder and enchantment.     

Prepare your visit

Don’t worry about your little ones’ visit: when they arrive at the museum, they’ll be able to receive our free children’s guide. So they can enjoy the museum while they’re absorbed by their guide!

Jealous of the children’s guide? We’ve got you covered: an adult guide will also be available at reception! (Spoiler alert: click on the link to find out how the exhibition ends).

Interview

In this article, the exhibition’s curators – Francesco Lo Bue, director of MUMONS and an astronomy enthusiast, and Laetitia Mespouille, a chemist with a curiosity for nature – give you some previously unpublished details about the “Exploring the Invisible” exhibition!