Arts at CERN

The View from Nowhere offers an ethnographic observation of the practices, technologies, and languages developed by scientists at CERN, revealing the Laboratory’s rich culture

Semiconductor is driven by an interest in the material nature of our physical world and how we experience it through the lens of science and technology. At CERN, the artist duo looked for theories and technologies that asked fundamental questions about nature and the languages that ensued to make sense of it.

Their exploration raises multiple questions: How do scientists conceptualise and organise reality? What is our viewpoint as observers? How does science mediate nature? By its very nature, particle physics deals with matter and concepts that require incredibly advanced technology and engineering, as evidenced by the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator built to study the fundamental components of matter.

The View from Nowhere juxtaposes discussions around the application and processes of theoretical physics with filmed footage from CERN’s high-tech workshops. This contrast reveals a fascinating dichotomy: the creative process of modelling our universe versus the hard, classical nature of producing instruments to test these models. The work highlights the scientific frameworks humans have developed to explore matter beyond the limits of our direct experience. At the same time, it raises questions about our place in the broader nature of reality.

The title The View from Nowhere refers to the philosophical concept that science should remain an objective analysis of the natural world if it is to be seen as having value.