Poet Lemn Sissay MBE opened ‘Wonder Materials: Graphene & Beyond’ a major new exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry on 22nd July 2016. It tells the story of graphene, the world’s first two-dimensional material which was isolated by scientists in Manchester. Wonder Materials is the UK’s first major exhibition on graphene and a flagship event of Manchester’s programme as European City of Science 2016. This ground-breaking show combines science, art and history to reveal the inspiring story of this amazing material. Made from a single, one-atom layer of carbon, graphene is invisible to the naked eye but has the potential to change the world in a host of areas from energy and electronics to healthcare and mobile phones. First isolated at the University of Manchester through a process of creative scientific experimentation, graphene is one of the strongest, lightest and most conductive materials in the world.
Wonder Materials takes the audience on a scientific journey of discovery, through the past, present and into the imagined future of this new two dimensional material landscape. A combination of fascinating objects, photographs, music, films and newly commissioned artworks will illuminate the people and places involved. The exhibition is sponsored by Haydale, the group focused on enabling technology for the commercialisation of graphene and other nano materials.
Highlights of the exhibition include:
– A new specially commissioned art installation by Random International. Everything and Nothing has been developed following their residency at the National Graphene Institute and is the collective’s first public commission in the UK since their internationally acclaimed Rain Room
– A provocative new work by acclaimed poet Lemn Sissay MBE, The World Wakes is a call for creative ideas to realise the potential for graphene to change our lives
– A fascinating array of objects which bring the graphene story to life; from a graphite coated Elizabethan cannonball and Rutherford’s atomic models to the famous sticky tape dispenser which began the story of graphene’s isolation
– An investigation into the scientific breakthroughs made by scientists and professionals at the cutting edge of graphene use around the world
– An immersive recreation of a white room at the National Graphene Institute, where visitors can discover cutting edge applications of graphene use around the world and the personalities of the scientists who are developing them
– New documentary photography by PANOS, showcasing current uses of graphene internationally, from a desalination plant in Abu Dhabi to a mine in Sri Lanka producing high purity graphite for turning into graphene
– An interactive exhibit from Bare Conductive which invites audiences to imagine remarkable graphene products of the future – from clothing with built-in computer power to electricity-generating windows
The exhibition is created by the Museum of Science and Industry – a member of the Science Museum Group – in partnership with the National Graphene Institute, part of the University of Manchester. Museum of Science and Industry Director Sally MacDonald has commented: “We’re very excited to be launching the premiere of this fascinating exhibition into the material of the moment – and in what better place to open than Manchester, where graphene was isolated at the University of Manchester, and during the city’s year as European City of Science.
“The Museum of Science and Industry is a place which tells the story of how pioneering ideas can change the world, and this exhibition is a perfect of example of this. We are really excited about getting people engaged in finding out more and discussing the opportunities and challenges of this intriguing subject.”
In the first section of the exhibition, visitors can delve into the surprisingly quirky history of graphite. This area will illuminate two scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who used a maverick approach involving sellotape to isolate graphene from graphite in 2004 at the University of Manchester. This was a feat which many had thought impossible and which led to Geim and Novoselov winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.
Also featured in the exhibition is the National Graphene Institute’s composer-in-residence Sara Lowes’ new musical work Graphene Suite, plus visual art by Mary Griffiths, the acclaimed Manchester artist who created the huge patterned graphite wall which adorns the National Graphene Institute.
Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond will be accompanied by a year-round programme for adults, families and schools, including hands-on science events, evening science socials, “in conversation” style events and creative workshops. The exhibition is expected tour nationally and internationally, including going to the Science Museum, London, in 2018.
James Baker, Graphene Business Director at The University of Manchester, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with the Museum of Science and Industry on this exciting exhibition. Graphene’s story began here in Manchester, and the city continues to play a leading role in graphene’s development. This exhibition will showcase the current research that is being undertaken, not only here but on a global scale, to realise graphene’s potential.”
The exhibition is curated by Danielle Olsen and Sarah Baines. It is designed by interiors and architecture specialists Universal Design Studio working in collaboration with graphic designers LucienneRoberts+.
Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond
23 July 2016 – 25 June 2017
Museum of Science and Industry
Liverpool Road
Manchester M3 4FP
msimanchester.org.uk/wondermaterials
FREE ENTRY: Open from 10am to 5pm
About Danielle Olsen (Curator)
Danielle Olsen is an independent curator with expertise in leading cultural projects that integrate the arts and sciences. She works collaboratively to explore and share complex ideas and experiences in compelling and inclusive ways. Danielle’s previous work includes Cabbies’ Shelters (The Creative Intelligence Agency), An Idiosyncratic A to Z of the Human Condition (Wellcome Collection), Art in Global Health (6 artist residencies in medical research centres around the world) and the Medicine Man exhibition (British Museum). She has worked closely with historians Theodore Zeldin and Lisa Jardine and with Dan Maslen (Corona Road Films).
About Random International
Founded in 2005, Random International is a collaborative studio for experimental practice within contemporary art. Taking science as a means to develop a new material vocabulary, their work invites consideration of the man/ machine relationship through explorations of behaviour and natural phenomena, with the viewer an active participant.
Random International is led by founders Florian Ortkrass and Hannes Koch, who met at Brunel University before going on to study at the Royal College of Art. Ortkrass and Koch led the creative direction of the studio alongside cohort Stuart Wood until his departure in 2015. Based in London, with an outpost in Berlin, the studio today includes a wider team of diverse and complementary talent.
About Lemn Sissay MBE
Lemn Sissay MBE is the author of several books of poetry alongside articles, records, public art, and plays. He was an official poet for the London Olympics. His Landmark Poems are installed throughout Manchester and London, in venues such as The Royal Festival Hall and The Olympic Park. Sissay is associate artist at Southbank Centre, patron of The Letterbox Club and The Reader Organization, and inaugural trustee of World Book Night.
About The Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry tells the story of where science met industry and the modern world began. Its mission is to inspire all its visitors, including future scientists and inventors, with the story of how ideas can change the world, from the industrial revolution to today and beyond. Manchester was one of the first global, industrial cities, and its epic rise, decline and resurrection has been echoed in countless other cities around the world. From textiles to computers, the objects and documents held in the museum’s collection tell stories of everyday life over the last 200 years, from light bulbs to locomotives. The Museum of Science and Industry is part of the Science Museum Group, a family of museums which also includes the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the National Media Museum in Bradford.
About The National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester
The National Graphene Institute is a £61m world-leading centre for graphene research and commercialisation, where academics and industry partners can work side by side on the applications of tomorrow. The University of Manchester currently has more than 40 commercial partners and more than 235 graphene and related 2D materials researchers. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the European Regional Development Fund. www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk
About European City of Science
In 2016 the title of European City of Science comes to the UK for the first time. Manchester is a city of radical thinking, inspirational science and world changing firsts – it is the city where Rutherford first split the atom and Rolls met Royce, it’s the home of the first passenger railway station and programmable computer, and lays claim to the first test tube baby and the isolation of graphene. For further information, visit: www.manchestersciencecity.com