Quantum Art Installation Explores Memory & Physics at Yale’s Arts Library

During New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas, running through June 28th, the Haas Arts Library will host Refractions, an art and quantum physics installation by artist Serena Scapagnini, artist-in-resident at the Yale Quantum Institute. The work, created in collaboration with Harshvardhan Babla, a Ph.D. student in Applied Physics, comprises ten handmade paper panels each containing a subtly engraved quantum state, and will be on display from June 16th through fall 2025. Scapagnini and Florian Carle, managing director of the Yale Quantum Institute, will lead a tour including Refractions and installations at the New Haven Green and the Institute itself on June 24th, as part of the Superposition series inspired by the quantum principle illustrated in Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment.

Serena Scapagnini’s art installation, Refractions, is currently hosted by the Haas Family Arts Library during New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas. The work forms part of Superposition, a series inspired by the quantum mechanical principle illustrated by the thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat, where a system exists in multiple states simultaneously. Scapagnini’s research actively explores the intersection of art and quantum physics, manifesting in this compelling installation. The installation comprises ten handmade paper panels, created in Fabriano, Italy, each featuring a thin copper plate. The installation’s location within the library draws connections to the library’s collection. A documentary accompanies the exhibition, providing further insight into the creative process and conceptual underpinnings of the work.

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