UFSCar Project Bridges physics and Public Understanding through Vibrant Murals
SรO CARLOS, BRAZIL -โ A uniqueโฃ initiative at the Federal University โof Sรฃo carlos โค(UFSCar) is transforming the campus โPhysics Department into an open-air science gallery, using large-scale mural paintings to demystify complex physics conceptsโ for the โwider community.The FisArte project, launchedโฃ in โขthe latter half ofโข 2023, has alreadyโค completed sixโ murals, with a seventh underwayโ thisโข October, blending artistic expression with scientific popularization.
The project aimsโ to make โphysics moreโข accessible and engaging, especiallyโ for students and the general public. โBy collaborating with both professional artists and UFSCar students,FisArte translates abstract scientific ideas – from mechanics and wave propagation toโ quantum physics andโค astrophysics – into visuallyโ compelling artwork. This innovativeโ approach is supported by funding fromโ the Sรฃo Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), through grants 18/15554-5, โ22/00209-6, andโ 117498.
Coordinated by ufscar professorโ Romain โPierre Marcel bachelard,โฃ the murals showcase diverse artistic โstyles. Works by Jhavana Ferro โขPalomino focus on specific physics concepts, while thoseโ byโ Leonardo Gomes adopt a moreโข abstract approach, exploringโ themes like the collaborative nature of research and the physics of music. Studentโข contributions include a mural celebrating the centenary of physicist Cesarโ Lattes’ birth in 2024 andโ another planned for 2025, coinciding with the Internationalโข Year of Quantum Scienceโ and Technology.
Currently, โFisArte is facilitatingโ visits for school groups, partnering with UFSCar’s Institute of Scientific Culture and โขthe Ouroboros Center for Scientific โandโข Cultural dissemination to broaden the project’s reachโค and impact. The murals are located within the Physics Department at UFSCar and representโค a โgrowing effort to โfoster scientific literacy through artistic engagement.
