Curated by Liz Keim

Scientists and artists have long attempted to visualize the invisible worlds that surround and inhabit us—from the complexities of human bodies to the infinite reaches of space. When investigating the unseen, how do we make connections between what is imagined and what is actually possible? When does allegory lead to deeper inquiry?

We know that an atom is not a hard sphere within a web of encircling lines. Yet the representation of this seemingly solid entity serves our efforts to understand the world beyond the reach of our senses. When artistic imagination resonates with scientific fact, the known world wavers and reconfigures.

Inspired by discussions with space scientists and actual recordings of magnetic field data, Semiconductor brings a delirious surrealism to NASA’s Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley. Through visceral crackles, undulating waves, and saturated colors, they imaginatively visualize a powerful physical reality hidden within everyday life.