21Sep

The STROM exhibition opens the doors to inclusive astronomy

The amazing journey through the Universe of STROM – Inclusive Astronomy begins by exploring our Solar System and ends with a journey through the outermost parts of the known Universe, where the protagonists will be black holes, neutrinos, dark matter and dark energy. Through interactive and multisensory experiences and a layered discourse approach, anyone who comes to the exhibition will be able to learn about everything from basic astronomy concepts to the frontier of research in the field of astrophysics that is being conducted in the Basque Country.

A primary objective of the exhibition is accessibility, understood as the elimination of as many barriers as possible to enable the participation of people with disabilities, in particular visual, hearing, cognitive and mobility disabilities. To achieve this, podotactile guides have been installed on the floor, there are tactile information panels with accessible text sizes, QRs with access to audio guides designed specifically for the visually impaired, audiovisual sequences with signo-guides, subtitling and magnetic loop, all in an exhibition space without physical barriers.

The exhibition, which opens on October 4, will include an attractive program of complementary activities geared towards all members of the public. The inclusive hallmark will come with the help of a series of talks and a roundtable discussion organized by the DIPC and Kutxa Fundazioa, designed to promote the participation of people who normally find their access to the dissemination of science limited.

The series kicks off on Thursday, October 5, at 11:00 hours with Inés Rodríguez-Hidalgo, PhD in astrophysics and director of the Museum of Valladolid, who will give the talk "O Sole mio. A musical invitation to meet the star of your life". This talk is geared towards the general public and is adapted for people with functional diversity.  On Wednesday, October 18, at 19:00 hours, Amelia Ortiz-Gil, from the Astronomical Observatory of Valencia, will give the talk "The sensory exploration of the universe", which presents new ways of perceiving the cosmos, through hearing, touch, smell and taste.

The series concludes with a roundtable discussion entitled "From the cosmic web to the ghost particle: a reflection from art and science about our Universe", with the participation of DIPC´s Ikerbasque researchers Raúl Angulo and Juan José Gómez-Cadenas, together with the artist Patricia Cancelo, author of an artistic installation inspired by the NEXT project being carried out at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC), and which can be visited in the exhibition.

The Citizen Astronomy open group of the Tabakalera Medialab will be organizing the mornings; they will be running guided tours from Tuesday to Friday for schools and groups as well as workshops for families to take place on Saturdays at 11:00 hours throughout October. Registration for these activities can be made via the Tabakalera website.

In addition, researchers from the DIPC’s cosmology and astrophysics groups will be present at the exhibition every Tuesday and Thursday from 18:30 hours onwards, from October 10 to 26, to answer questions and satisfy the curiosity of those who attend.

The full program of complementary activities of the STROM – Inclusive Astronomy exhibition is available at p4k.dipc.org/strom

The STROM - Inclusive Astronomy exhibition has been possible thanks to the collaboration of various institutions and individuals who have spent years working to bring astronomy closer to people with disabilities, especially the visually impaired. Among the collaborations are the tactile model of planetary formation developed by the Millennium Nucleus for Planetary Formation (NPF); the tactile models of the solar system developed by the Planetarium of Medellín together with the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMTO); the sounds of the Sun produced by the Institute for Astrophysical Studies of the Diego Portales University (UDP); and the 3D galaxies of the AstroBVI project, funded with the support of the Regional Ministry for Universities, Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia and the International Astronomical Union. The company Morgancrea has handled the design and production of the exhibition, while the curatorship has been in the hands of the DIPC officer for communications and outreach Valentina Rodriguez and DIPC Ikerbasque astronomer Dr Silvia Bonoli.

The exhibition has been conceived as a travelling exhibition with the intention of travelling throughout the country and abroad. The Museum of Valladolid has already confirmed its interest in hosting this exhibition in its main hall from July 2025 onwards.