Data Horizons is the result of a collaboration between the Extreme Light group at Heriot-Watt University and Lily Hibberd, Leverhulme Trust artist-in-residence at Heriot-Watt throughout 2016. Led by Prof Daniele Faccio, the Extreme Light group develops experiments in laser physics and quantum optics, inspired by general relativity and the physics of curved spacetimes. These artworks produce encounters with otherwise invisible or inaccessible information emerging from cutting edge research to bridge the gap between every-day and extraordinary behaviour of light.

Black Hole Horizon is a sound installation inspired by Extreme Light’s artificial black hole experiment. Descending into the basement of Summerhall, you will enter an acoustic tunnel where data collected in the lab at Heriot-Watt is transformed into 3D sound.

The kinetic sculpture Slow Light sees the fastest thing in the universe travel at snail’s pace in a fluid medium. In a vacuum, light travels at 300,000 km per second, equal to three trips round the earth in the blink of an eye.