Inescapable and mysterious, black holes have long captured the imagination of visual artists, even before their existence was first confirmed in 1971. In Conjuring the Void, Gamwell explores this fascinating intersection of art and science

Join us for an engaging evening with author Lynn Gamwell as she discusses her new book Conjuring the Void: The Art of Black Holes.

Gamwell will be in conversation with Dominic Chang, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.

Starting with a chronological description of key developments in the science of black holes, Gamwell builds a foundation for the reader through visualizations of black holes created by scientists, depicting how a black hole’s extreme gravity affects visible objects in its vicinity. From there, the book explores how artists have addressed the challenge of visualizing black holes by developing new methods of working with diverse materials, including a black paint that absorbs 99.96% of visible light.

Copies of Conjuring the Void will be available for purchase and signing after the talk, courtesy of the MIT Press Bookstore.

Presented in collaboration with the MIT Press.

$5 We have a limited number of free tickets available for full-time students with ID. Please reach out to museumregadmin@mit.edu.