King's College London

How can art share new perspectives on the mysterious world of quantum and the impact of emerging quantum technologies? This is the aim of Studio Quantum, a two-month artist-in-residence programme run by the Goethe-Institut, with King's participating through Science Gallery London until the end of November. 

The programme and accompanying event series connects artists and audiences with partners in technology, culture, science and education to foster an open dialogue on the topic of quantum technologies and the arts.

Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, a Dublin-based writer, performer and cultural consultant from India was selected to partner with Dr James Millen, an experimental quantum scientist and Co-Director of King’s Quantum – King's research centre on quantum technologies.

Art-science collaboration is not new to either James nor Chandrika, who held a creative residency at the Institute of Physics in 2023. She partnered with physicists to discover the human stories behind their discoveries, developing poems based on these, with the additional aim of platforming voices from backgrounds and identities underrepresented in STEM.

She said, “I am so excited to be the artist in residence for the Studio Quantum London Residency, and very much looking forward to working with Studio Quantum, Science Gallery London, and Dr James Millen.

“I will be investigating the quantum nature of migrant identity through a writing project called Code Switching, aiming to create work based on the stories of quantum physics researchers from migrant backgrounds. In 2012 I was forced to leave the UK due to restrictive immigration policies and moved to Ireland, where I am now a writer and cultural consultant with an interest in communicating science through poetry. As a recently naturalised Irish citizen, it will be an interesting experience carrying out this work in the city I had to left behind.”

Dr James Millen said, “Chandrika is an engaging and inspiring artist, and I’m delighted to get to partner with her to explore how we can use language in new and exciting ways to comprehend the complex but fascinating world of quantum.”

“I’m hoping she will help my team and I to articulate our research in new ways, and that together we can explore the boundaries of what is mysterious about quantum and what is not. I suspect this will throw up some surprises, as we learn how each one of us thinks differently about quantum.”

The residency runs until the end of November, with an event and poetry performance planned for 26 November at Science Gallery London. You can book tickets here.

You can read more about the collaboration between Chandrika and James in an interview on the project.