Solaris, a brand-new creative project which brings audiences on a journey through the life stages of a star, will open for its world premiere during Science Week at the Marina Market in Cork on 10 November 2024.
To celebrate Science Week, the public is encouraged to visit Solaris and discover the journey of a star, from its birth to its explosive transformation into a pulsar. An exciting new kinetic sculpture from the collective, Axolotl, Solaris explores the wondrous life cycle of the celestial bodies that fill the night sky.
Solaris is a 2.5 metre sphere containing thousands of individually mappable LEDs, which will display beautiful visual imagery that is accompanied by voiceovers from very special guests, including comedian Dara Ó’Briain, to tell the story of the star’s journey.
To launch Science Week 2024, Solaris will be on display in Marina Market in Cork City from Sunday, 10 November, until Tuesday, 12 November, before it heads to Saint Nicholas’ Church in Galway, 14–17 November.
Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society, Research Ireland, said: “As part of Science Week, we are delighted to partner with Axolotl to bring Solaris to Cork and Galway. Taking the audience through the different generations of a star perfectly encapsulates this year’s Science Week theme of Regeneration, and the voiceover from some special guests makes it a very memorable experience. I would encourage everyone to come and visit the sculpture when it world premieres on Sunday, 10 November until 12 November in Marina Market in Cork and then in Saint Nicholas’ Church in Galway, 14–17 November.”
Richard Babington, Creative Director, Solaris, said: “Solaris has been a fascinating project to develop, exploring the scientific magic behind the lifecycle of a star and translating that into a visual installation using light, audio and kinetics. We’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some brilliant partners and eagerly await the chance to share it with an audience.”
Supported by Research Ireland, Science Week, the annual week-long celebration of science will take place across Ireland from 10-17 November, and this year, the theme is Regeneration.
With hundreds of events taking place nationwide this Science Week, there is something for everyone – whether you’re passionate about protecting our environment, biodiversity, our future health, or using technology like generative AI in our everyday lives. Visit ScienceWeek.ie for more information.
