Exhibit on science as a source of inspiration for poetry
12/11/2014
"Science has strongly stimulated contemporary imagination", explains David Jou, professor of Physics of Condensed Matter of the UAB and one of the collaborators in organising "Ciència i poesia". With the help of UAB lecturers and professors, both scientists and poets, such as David Jou himself, Jaume Terradas and Xavier Xarles, the Science and Technology Library selected a set of poems to be included in the exhibit, accompanied by suggestive images, videos of poetry recitals and presentations on poetry and mathematics.
Jou adds in the presentation of the exhibit that "building bridges and fostering ties between science and the humanities is an urgent need in today's culture". He also said that poetry which aimed to expand sensitivities, increase lucidity and enrich the expressiveness of society must include, at some point or another, an experience of its encounter with science, either as a dialogue between the two disciplines, or as a confrontation.
The exhibit, which can be visited at the library and also virtually, presents a series of poems and authors which demonstrate the distinct interpretations poetic language can apply to the scientific world.
There are poems such as the one from Rafael Alberti on the number phi, entitled "A la divina proporción"; the poem by Fernando Pessoa, entitled "El binomio de Newton es tan bello como la Venus de Milo", where he compares the beauty of mathematics to that of art; and poems by David Jou entitled "El nombre pi", "La taula periòdica" and "Rellotge de sorra", which transmit his profound knowledge of science and the complexity of mathematical parameters.
The exhibit is on display at the showcases of the library's entrance, main hallway and general room. Videos containing recitals of scientific poems can also be seen. The small projector will be displaying a recital of a poem on mathematics, as well as the presentation "La poesia de les matemàtiques", based on a conference offered by Xavier Xarles. At the hallway visitors will be able to see a planetary exhibit with poems by Assumpció Forcada. At the general room (Sala General) visitor will find poems dedicated to Isaac Newton, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Lynn Margulis, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin and Alan Turing.
This exhibit is part of the calendar of activities for the 14th National Poetry Festival celebrated in the city of Sant Cugat. As part of the exhibit, the organisers also participated in a poetry recital at the inauguration of the 2014/15 academic year of the Faculty of Biosciences, as well as in the celebrations on Saint Albert's Day which took place on 12 November.
The exhibit can be viewed in photos here.