Editor: Arie Altena
Design: Femke Herregraven
Copy Editor: Mark Poysden
60 pp., English, October 2011
Print copies are sold out!

‘Most of the universe is dark,’ writes Roger Malina, an astronomer and Distinguished Professor of Art and Technology at the University of Texas, Dallas. This is because, as he explains, the human senses ‘filter out’ what cannot be perceived. Research suggests that only 4% of the universe consists of 'normal' matter – the rest is invisible to us and, for now, remains undetected by our instruments.

This premise serves as the starting point for A Ray of Darkness. This publication features an essay on cosmology and data collection, commissioned by Sonic Acts/Kontraste and written by Malina, who is also the Executive Editor of Leonardo Publications. Accompanying the text are visual materials and quotes from various sources that delve into the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

About Kontraste

The Kontraste Festival took place in Krems, Austria, with serial editions curated by Sonic Acts. Highlighting the medieval Klangraum Krems Minoritenkirche and collaborating with venues across the city, the festival combined a unique regional setting with a strong international line-up. Its programme featured cutting-edge sonic experiments, contemporary music, and related art forms, offering unconventional concerts, performances, installations, and lectures in thematic and interdisciplinary contexts. 

Contents

A Prelude To Dark Matter – Arie Altena

Field Notes On Dark Matter: A Collection of Quotes From Different Sources – Selected and arranged by Arie Altena

Images Of Dark Matter and Dark Energy – Ray Davis

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Big Data, Intimate Data — Roger F. Malina

Electric Shadows – Artworks Kontraste 2012