Cosmic Cartography is part of SpaceFest, a celebration of Science Week in Cork. This FREE exhibit is open to the public from Saturday 07 Nov

How do we map a universe too vast to fully comprehend? How have people across cultures made sense of the stars, and how do we find our place in the cosmos? From marking time, tracking the seasons and crossing the seas, the night sky has been a source of scientific observation and artistic inspiration. Cosmic Cartography invites you to look up, look closer and get curious about our universe.

The Fold: Cosmic Cartographies

An artist-led, cross-disciplinary research group founded by Jess Franklin, The Fold brings artists and geologists together to explore the natural world through creative practice, dialogue and shared enquiry. For Cosmic Cartographies, artists explored ideas of mapping, movement, time, distance and our changing relationship with the cosmos through collage, drawing, painting, photography, textiles and sound. Informed by diverse forms of research, from scientific knowledge, geological observation and field research to historical, cultural and imaginative sources, each artist developed their work independently, then came together throughout the process to share ideas, discuss works in progress and offer feedback, allowing artistic and geological perspectives to inform one another.

Many Skies

Explore how cultures around the world have mapped the stars and poke holes in the universe with your own constellation contribution to this interactive artwork.

Impact – Kerry Guinan

Created through our Cosmic Debris residency at the National Space Centre in 2024, this levitating sculpture represents a meteoroid that has been impacted by a shard of artificial space debris in the high speeds of Earth’s orbit. The work asks us to reflect upon the profound impact that humanity has on nature, on and beyond the Earth.

Created during SpaceFest’s 2024 Cosmic Debris residency at the National Space Centre, this levitating sculpture represents a meteoroid struck by artificial space debris, inviting reflection on humanity’s impact on the natural world, on Earth and beyond.

Space Makers — St. Fergal’s NS, Inch NS, Midleton Educate Together NS and Scoil Mhuire Naofa

Working with artist Chris Finnegan, 170 young people from East Cork schools explored how scientists map the universe before creating their own planetary sectors. Their individual works come together in a large-scale collaborative installation.

Space Studio Inc.

Artists from Crawford Supported Studios present celestial-inspired artworks created in collaboration with artist Ed Kuczaj, bringing their individual perspectives and creative practices to the exploration of the cosmos.

Reach for the Stars

Discover the winning images from the annual astrophotography competition organised by the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). Selected from more than 140 entries submitted by photographers across Ireland, these remarkable images reveal the beauty and wonder of the night sky.

Booking and Details:

Date: Saturday 07 November – Wednesday 11 November

Time: Saturday and Sunday, 11 – 7; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 11 – 6.

Cost: FREE

Location: Marina Market, Centre Park Rd, Cork, T12 YX76

Parking: Free parking

Transport: Buses 202, 202A, 212

Description supplied by the event organiser.