One of the best parts about the two summers I spent at CERN was my immersion in the culture of particle physicists who love art. There were designer buildings, sculptures given as gifts, and gardens dedicated to tools of the trade. There were hard rock “hadronic” music festivals, classical music concerts, poetry readings, and science-based film viewings. And those are just the events put on at the organization level, the community is full of groups who meet to share their art with one another.

As a science communicator I am particularly fascinated by the way art and physics are entwined at the Globe of Science and Innovation, CERN’s visitor centre. The building itself is a work of art and sustainable development. The exterior is made completely of wood so the building is a natural carbon sink. Inside you’ll find the Universe of Particles exhibition. It’s an immersive experience into the big questions that physics researchers are trying to answer. I walked through the exhibition twice while I was a graduate student to bask in that sense of wonder.

In 2014, a 15-tonne steel sculpture was erected on the lawn in front of the Globe. It’s a 36′ (11 m) tall sculpture shaped like a giant ribbon twisting through space called “Wandering the immeasurable.” It is laser-etched with almost 400 discoveries made over thousands of years. Each represents a breakthrough in the fields of mathematics and physics. The inscriptions are written in the discoverer’s language of origin. I spent what felt like hours reveling in the feeling that I was part of something much bigger than myself. I was part of a history of human curiosity that continues today. I was thrilled to find out that the sculpture was designed by a Canadian artist named Gayle Hermick. Go Canada!

Art was everywhere at CERN, enhancing the science being done and sharing the joy of discovery with everyone who visited.