Talk: Between Art and Astrophysics

What happens when science is transformed into a sensory and artistic experience?

Meet artist Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm and physicist Troels Harmark for a conversation inspired by the work A Black Hole Calling Us at MAPS on 24 September, 7–8 pm.

The conversation delves into the mysteries of black holes before expanding into some of the bigger questions about the universe and our place in the cosmos. What exactly is a black hole? How can it be both destructive and creative? And where are the limits of what we as humans can know and understand?

Taking art and astrophysics as two different approaches to the unknown, Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm and Troels Harmark explore what happens when science’s view of the universe meets that of art, and when astrophysics becomes a starting point for questions about time, space, knowledge and our human desire to understand what lies at the limits of our comprehension.

About Cecilie and Troels:
Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm is an award-winning Danish artist who has been working at the forefront of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies since 2016. Her works explore the relationship between humans and technology, raising questions about identity, existence, power and our place in the universe. In her interdisciplinary practice, she brings together fields including AI, philosophy, astrophysics and biotechnology in interactive and sensory installations. Her works have been presented at institutions including the V&A, Ars Electronica, the Kennedy Center, Wellcome Collection and Copenhagen Contemporary. She has received several international awards, including the Lumen Prize and an Honorary Mention from Prix Ars Electronica.

Troels Harmark is Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Center of Gravity at the Niels Bohr Institute. He has previously held positions at Harvard University in the US and Nordita, the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Stockholm. He is an expert in relativity, black holes, quantum physics and quantum gravity – fields that explore the nature of time and space and how they relate to the smallest building blocks of nature. In April 2025, he published the book På sporet af tidens gåde, which explores the mystery of time.

The talk will be held in Danish.

Practical information
MAPS, Nørregade 29, 4600 Køge
24 September, 7–8 pm

Tickets:
DKK 125 incl. Astro Drink and museum admission
Annual pass holders: DKK 50 incl. Astro Drink