Universe Within sparkles at White Night

Art and science collided during the White Night spectacle that showcased Melbourne’s rich culture and creativity.

A dance of microscopic imagery was projected onto Victorian College of the Arts alumna dancer and contortionist Amy MacPherson in a stunning video, The Universe Within. It waspresented by the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Science.

“I was drawn to working on this project by the prospect of investigating the intersection of science and art - a body for functional movement and a body for expression,’’ Amy said.

The images are photographed through microscopes in biomedical research laboratories, and their striking colours and patterns bring to life the spectacular universe that lurks under the microscope and within our own bodies.

All images are from Under the Coverslip, a competition run annually by students from the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience in the School of Biomedical Sciences. They showcase the beauty of scientific imagery that the complex microscopic techniques produce, as well as the important research conducted by the students. The following images are a sample – follow this link to view more.

As well as being a lively hub of creativity and culture, Melbourne is at the forefront of ground- breaking research and is home to the Biomedical Precinct which has over 10,000 researchers and clinicians in 25 facilities, all within walking distance of each other. The University of Melbourne is central to the precinct, which has no equal in the southern hemisphere, and leads world research in vaccines, genetics, cancer and several other fields.

The Universe Within gives us an opportunity to view scientific research with an approach that is artistic and innovative, and hopefully inspires us to find out more about the images and the exciting research conducted in biomedical laboratories.

Banner Image: Microscopic imagery projected onto VCA alumna dancer and contortionist, Amy MacPherson. Still from Video: Newak.