STARt. Look beyond

• Prize
  Bronze in Science/Other
• Photographer
  Simone Arrigoni

Dark matter is not observable, yet it most likely exists. That's what recent astrophysics studies tell us, as scientists can detect its gravitational effects in the Universe even though they cannot directly observe it. The very name assigned to this mysterious matter gives us something to consider: the fact that something is not 'visible' does not imply that it does not exist. Our limits often prevent us from perceiving things that actually exist, so, both in everyday life and scientific research, it is essential not to judge by appearances, but instead to always try to look beyond them. The image shows the heart of our galaxy, located in the Sagittarius region. It was taken using a long exposure and astrotracking. Inspired by the idea of dark matter, as if I wanted to reveal it through my lens, I converted the nucleus of the Milky Way into a negative photo. The stars of the Galactic Center thus become the focal points of my shot, like the colors on Jackson Pollock’s abstract canvases, reversing reality into abstractionism and demonstrating how the infinite beauty of the Universe is itself Art.

Simone Arrigoni is a classical pianist, multiple Freediving World Record holder and successful photographer. He holds more than 170 awards in the most prestigious International Photo Contests, such as the 1st Prize in NTU 2017 by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University & National Geographic. He was appointed FIOF Italian Photography Ambassador in China 2017-2021 and has been Underwater Photography Festival Ambassador since 2019. His works have been published in books, magazines and catalogues, as well as being collected and exhibited worldwide, from USA to Japan via Europe and China