A new art-science exhibition at Downing College’s Heong Gallery brings Iceland’s incandescent volcanic eruptions and earth-shattering seismic tremors to Cambridge.
Visitors will get a chance to get up close, and even embark on a journey inside, an Icelandic volcano—inspired by Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
The exhibit, ‘Magma Rising’ interweaves research from geoscientists at Cambridge’s Departments of Earth Sciences and Geography with wide-ranging artworks including illustrations, sculptures, sound installations, video games and more. The exhibit runs from 26th February until Earth Day, the 22nd April and is free to visit.
Professor Nick Rawlinson, seismologist at Cambridge Earth Sciences and Fellow of Downing College, is involved in the exhibition. Over recent years Rawlinson and his research group have been monitoring the headline-hitting volcanic eruptions on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. Following a period of quiescence lasting 1,000 years, ten eruptions have taken place in the Reykjanes area since 2021.
“It has been a humbling experience watching the seismic signals associated with magma buildup below the surface and subsequent effusive eruptions,” said Rawlinson.
Iceland’s primordial landscape, which is mainly built up by volcanic eruptions and lava flows, is a source of inspiration to Rawlinson, “Over the last five years, I have driven and hiked through this region many times and am always impressed by the amazing landforms.”
Rawlinson said, “I am excited to bring some of these experiences to the public via Magma Rising, and hope that the superb array of artworks and exhibits convey a sense of intrigue, amazement and wonder to those that visit.”
Magma Rising combines a wide selection of artworks with scientific data and samples, heritage objects, and historic documents. Volcanic eruptions and related earthquakes are interpreted in the form of: sound installations, films and video games, sculptures, microscope imagery, shoe design, illustrations, printmaking, paintings, photography and a large-scale wall mural.
The exhibition also includes loans of geological specimens from the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, first edition copies of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth from the University Library, and heritage wayfinding instruments provided by the Whipple Museum.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a range of outreach events, many of which coincide with British Science Week (8-17 March), the Cambridge Festival (20 March - 6 April), and Earth Day (22 April). Planned events include: film showings, a panel discussion about filming active lava, a drawing session with volcanic ash, musical performances, lava flow modelling, a seismometer demonstration and more.
People Involved:
- Dr Sara Rawlinson (artist, curator) curator@magmarising.org
- Dr Nicolas Bell (librarian, University of Cambridge)
- Dr Rachel Coombes (art historian, University of Cambridge)
- Prof Marie Edmonds (volcanologist, Department of Earth Sciences)
- Prof Sergei Lebedev (geophysicist, Department of Earth Sciences)
- Prof John Maclennan (volcanologist, Department of Earth Sciences)
- Prof Clive Oppenheimer (volcanologist, Department of Geography)
- Prof Nick Rawlinson (seismologist, Department of Earth Sciences)
Artists Involved
- Nigel Auchterlounie — illustration
- Björk — music video
- Ólafur Elíasson — lava compass
- Oded Ezer — visual riddle
- Anna Gudjonsdottir — mural installation
- Keith Grant — painting, sketchbooks
- Ilana Halperin — paintings
- Peter Harrison — volcano table
- Werner Herzog / Clive Oppenheimer — films, film props
- Brandur Karlsson — paintings
- Jemila MacEwan — painting
- John Maclennan — prints
- Ninja Theory — video game
- Kathy Prendergast — map
- Sara Rawlinson — photography
- Sruli Recht — sculpture
- Sedgwick Museum — geological specimens
- David Stalling — sonification
- Emma Stibbon RA — drawings, prints, sketchbooks
- Jules Verne — first editions (from Camb Univ Library)
- Whipple Museum — heritage wayfinding tools
Feature image: Sara Rawlinson, 'Erupt'.