Exhibition tours
Two art and science exhibitions were offered to the public: "Objectif Etoiles" and "Stellar Scape". The first, produced by the Confluent des Savoirs, highlights space in all its forms, through the lens of photographers and allows visitors to discover the Universe through an artistic journey. The second, installed at the Pavillon, an exhibition, experimentation and innovation center, brings together some twenty international artists, researchers and engineers around the imaginary worlds of astronomy and the renewal of space adventures.
Tours of UNamur's astronomical observatory
Secondary school students visited the Antoine Thomas Astronomical Observatory and learned about how astronomy is practiced today and the tools used to observe the sky and stars.
Meetings with astronauts
Two meetings were organized between astronauts and primary and secondary school classes. They were an opportunity for pupils to ask astronauts questions about their experiences, space and the space professions. The meetings were hosted by Confluent des Savoirs, Professor André Füzfa and students from the "Kapto.UNIVERSEH" space popularization project. Speakers on hand to chat with the students included:
- Dirk Frimout, Belgium's first astronaut.
- Vladimir Pletser, former Belgian astronaut candidate and record holder for the most parabolic flights.
- Dumitru Dorin Prunariu, Romanian cosmonaut.
A theatrical improvisation show
Students from the "ImproNam" university theatrical improvisation team took the audience on board their space shuttle bound for the ISS: the Improvisation Space Station!
A science café "Chill&Sciences"
In a relaxed atmosphere at the heart of the "Stellar Scape" exhibition, the Chill&Sciences brought together three speakers around one theme: the encounter between art and science. Three speakers with complementary expertise took the floor:
- A researcher, Jérôme Daquin (UNamur), enlightened the audience on the environmental, scientific and technical issues surrounding space debris.
- An artistic expert, Charlotte Benedetti (Pavillon, KIKK asbl), presented the work inspired by these fragments of space and their impact on our imaginary.
- A scientific mediator, Julien Creuels (Confluent des Savoirs-UNamur) outlined the popularization work carried out to communicate science with art.
An extra-curricular activity
As part of the extra-curricular activities offered by Confluent des Savoirs, children were able to discover the "Stellar Scape" exhibition at the Pavilion.
A ciné-rencontre
In partnership with Belgian Space Week, the film "First Contact" was screened at . The film was followed by an exchange between Charlotte Benedetti (Pavillon, KIKK asbl) and Stéphanie Roland (visual artist and director).
The Astronomical Observatory's 5-year anniversary
UNamur celebrated the 5 years of its Astronomical Observatory. Since its inauguration in 2019, the Antoine Thomas Astronomical Observatory has deployed an educational and scientific mediation program open to all, with the ambition of helping people discover science through the prism of observing the wonders of the sky. 5 years later, the gamble has paid off! On the occasion of the anniversary day, tours of the astronomical dome were organized, as well as discussions with the public. It was an opportunity to bring together the community that has grown up around its past, present and future projects!
