James Bettney Interdisciplinary artist based in Barcelona.

Collider


The merging of the commonplace and the exceptional.


"Collider" is a photographic series that explores the intriguing overlap of everyday life with the extraordinary scientific undertakings hidden from view. This series focuses on the contrast between the ordinary scenes above ground and the groundbreaking research happening below at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Each image in the series captures familiar, even mundane, settings that directly overlay the LHC's extensive tunnels. The goal is not to showcase the physical aspects of the Collider itself, but rather to highlight the spaces and structures we pass by every day, under which lies one of the world's most advanced scientific experiments.

Through "Collider," I invite viewers to rethink the ordinary, urging them to see beyond the visible into the profound depths of scientific exploration. This project encourages a reflection on how seemingly unremarkable locations are connected to the vast, unseen experiments that push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.

The juxtaposition of the common with the complex in "Collider" aims to stir the viewer’s curiosity about what lies beneath the surface, challenging our everyday perceptions and inspiring awe for the mysteries that unfold in the depths below.