Quantum Voyages, Cosmic Journeys: On Art-Science Confluences

From ancient monuments to modern day films, the confluence of the arts, culture, and physics has resulted in creations that have led to a deeper understanding of nature, to friendly and enchanting ways of perceiving science, to alternative modalities of education, to crafting new artistic dimensions, to technological progress, and to pure fun! In this talk, I will reflect on these aspects and recount some of our experiences. In a project-based interdisciplinary course entitled Where the Arts meets Physics, we bring alive the universe, classical phenomena, and the quantum world through installations and performance. Collaborations with theater, music, dance, and circus have led to several performance pieces that explore the magic and beauty of the quantum world and our cosmos, such as Quantum Voyages and Cosmic Tumbles, Quantum Leaps, and more. I will share glimpses of the science, stories, the process behind the making of these pieces, and the productions across the globe both in-person and virtually for pandemic times. I will conclude with visions of the large-scale art-quantum events brought together this year, inclusive of these productions, to celebrate the UN-proclaimed 2025 International Year of the Quantum at the APS Global Physics Summit and other venues.