Where science meets art

The inauguration of the new ‘Fragility and Beauty – taking the pulse of our planet from space’ exhibition was opened last night in Milan, Italy.

The permanent exhibition can be seen at the National Museum of Science and Technology, the largest science and technology in Italy. Attracting more than 500 000 visitors a year, the museum has the biggest collection of machine models based on Leonardo da Vinci's drawings.

Organised by ESA in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency, and with the support as media partner of National Geographic, the exhibition creates a link between scientific research, space technology and art, focusing on the theme of climate change and sustainable development.

The exhibition was opened by Fiorenzo Galli, the Director of the Science and Technology Museum, who said, “This permanent exhibition encourages a fertile dialogue which teaches citizens and schools to care for our planet.

‘It also shows how European investments in the field of aerospace technology – in this case observing Earth from space can help us understand our planet, see its weakness, assess new environmental risks and find solutions.”

The exhibition starts by showing the rapid growth of the world’s population. It continues with the impact of overpopulation on ecosystems, both in terms of the exploitation of natural resources and emissions of greenhouse gases. It concludes with an overview of how satellite data can help achieve some of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

It includes images from ESA’s satellites including the Earth Explorers, the EC’s Copernicus Sentinel missions as well from the Italian Space Agency’s Cosmo SkyMed.

Mauro Facchini, Head of the Copernicus Unit, within the EC DG GROW, said, “Copernicus is a demonstration of Europe at its best. It’s a tool that, without a united Europe, would have never been possible.”

Using the most recent satellite images, visitors will embark on a journey that will lead them to explore the most extraordinary and remote places on Earth, and they will be able to ‘touch’ lesser known aspects of the environment and climate change.