Night opening of Lighten Up! On Biology and Time

Through the lens of art, Lighten Up! On Biology and Time explores the connection of living organisms with the natural cycle of light and dark. From fungi to ferns, from hamsters to humans, all have evolved circadian rhythms that connect them to the alternation of day and night. In our screen-based society, there is an increasing urgency to raise awareness of reconnecting to the outdoor environment. Nineteen installations transform our daily, lunar and seasonal rhythms into light- and soundscapes, immersive spaces or virtual experiences to remind us the necessity of regular light exposure for a healthy life.

We live on a rotating planet whose environment is alternating between day and night and changing daylength with seasons. All living organisms have internalised this external light-dark cycle in the form of circadian rhythms that optimally prepare the body for the right behaviour at the right time. Being exposed to enough bright light at the appropriate time of day can have significant effects in boosting our immune system, ensuring sleep quality, alertness or mood and determine our overall health.
Many of us have already experienced jetlag, shiftwork, and the hour lost when Daylight Saving Time begins in spring: all instances of a forced desynchrony between our internal and the external clock. With contemporary urban lifestyles making much of the world population chronically light-deprived, and with screen-based activities exploding in all areas of work and recreation, there is an increasing urgency to raise awareness, to engage the public in a self-reflection and help us all recognize the importance of daylight.

On the occasion of the International Museum Day, animations are proposed in collaboration with student associations. EPFL Pavilions, pavilions A and B.