Drift: Art and Dark Matter has returned to Queen’s for free public viewing at the Miller Museum of Geology through February. Visitors will experience a unique opportunity exploring the intersection of artistic creativity and cutting-edge astroparticle physics research led by Queen's researchers.

The Drift project emerged from a visionary art-science residency hosted by the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s, and SNOLAB, the clean lab 2km underground where Queen’s Nobel Laureate Dr. Arthur McDonald led the SNO collaboration in their groundbreaking research. In 2021, artists Anne Riley, Nadia Lichtig, Josèfa Ntjam, and Jol Thoms were invited to visit SNOLAB in Sudbury and engage with researchers and their experiments seeking to unravel the mysteries of the universe, including dark matter.

Dark matter is an invisible substance that scientists hypothesize accounts for the majority of the universe’s mass. Its gravitational effects are essential to the formation and stability of galaxies, yet it remains undetected by conventional instruments. The Drift exhibit exemplifies this idea of the “known unknown,” showcasing how art can explore even the unsensed dimensions of reality. Currently on display from the exhibit is the work of Jol Thoms, who used sound design and digital 3D scans to create installations that explore the layered identities of SNOLAB as both a scientific hub and a cultural landscape.

Additionally, the Drift project has evolved with the development of new resources that aim to bring the research at SNOLAB closer to the surface. In late 2024, the collaborators came together to publish a book, Drift: Art and Dark Matter, that is both a catalogue of the exhibition artworks and a further dialogue on art, science, and the research ecosystem. Drifting Together is a complete teacher resource for grades 9 and 10 general science and grades 11 and 12 chemistry, physics, and earth and space science that supports integrating art and physics into the classroom and encourages students to think creatively about complex scientific concepts.

To experience Drift firsthand, visit the Miller Museum of Geology on Queen’s campus. Admission is free and open Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by special appointment.

If you enjoy science-inspired art, check out the McDonald Institute Poet-in-Residence, Meg Freer, who will read her new poems accompanied by improvised music at the Royal Tavern on Monday, Jan 20.