Physicists at ELI ALPS Laser Research Institute are working to understand processes that no one has ever investigated before. Within the framework of their research activities, they also produce fantastic images of the phenomena they study. We believe that these photos may serves as food for further thoughts and could be the starting point for works of art. The entries we have received so far in our art competitions prove that others are also noticing the aesthetics that go beyond physics.
Participants were required to recreate the lines and shapes of the original images using a technique of their choice, while retaining the original lines and shapes. The number of entries received exceeded our expectations: a total of 72 entries were submitted from all over the country before the deadline of 1 December 2024. After an in-house jury evaluated the entries, the three best ones in two categories – primary school children and older children – were awarded prizes. In addition, the 12 best entries grace the pages of our 2025 calendar.
Our science director, Katalin Varjú welcomed the artists and their companions, and Professor Gábor Szabó, the managing director of ELI ALPS, also attended the event. In her speech, Katalin Varjú pointed out that a few decades ago the area of ELI ALPS was occupied by Soviet barracks, but now it is home to one of the world’s leading physics research institutes. “We are very proud to have recently hosted many Nobel Prize laureates: Gérard Mourou, the winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, as well as Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023. Their research is closely related to our work. Katalin Karikó, a research professor at the University of Szeged and winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine, is also a frequent guest of ours,” said Katalin Varjú. She told the audience that lasers have appeared not only in films such as the James Bond and Star Wars sequels, but also in everyday practice. They are routinely used for industrial material processing – cutting, welding – and a wide range of lasers are used in the production of mobile phones. Our equipment serves research purposes, for example, laser-induced particle acceleration.
“During our research activities, we capture images that we think are aesthetically pleasing, beautiful and interesting. We wondered if we could show them to a wider audience and share this beauty with others. That’s how this competition came about,” our science director said explaining the purpose of this initiative.
Lili Kecsmár
The welcome speech was followed by the announcement of the results. Lili Kecsmár, a year 1 pupil at the Szeged based Szikra Primary School won the first prize in the first age group. (Her artwork illustrates the month of February in our calendar). “I really liked this competition, which was brought to my attention by my teacher, the head of the graphics club at my school. I really liked this project. I worked on the idea for two or three days. I’ve been drawing since I was little, it’s very important in my life,” said Lili, whose mother also revealed that Lili had painted four pictures on the day of the award ceremony.
Her sister, Anna Kecsmár, is a year 3 pupil at the same primary school. Anna, whose artwork illustrates the month of January, could not recall exactly how she came up with the shape she later created. She spent a long time trying to think what she could make of the image she liked. First, she thought of an eye, then she drew a UFO, which might be scary to others, but not to her. “Maybe I am not supposed to, but I doodle with pencil and pen in all kinds of books,” Anna admitted.
The runner-up in the second age group was Hedvig Sütő, a medical student from Szeged, the only artist with two photos in the calendar (July and November). I looked at the images and I immediately felt that I could get something good out of three or four of them. I picked two, and the final versions of my work were ready in two or three days. It’s typical of me that I like to see things into everything, I like to look for connections. It’s easy to be creative with colourful, abstract shapes. This competition was not just a one-off adventure, art has played a role in my life even before,” said Hedvig, who will most probably respond to our next call for entries.
Noé Pósa
The competition for older students was won by Noé Pósa (his artwork illustrates the month of September). The year 11 student from the Szeged branch of Szent Benedek Vocational Technical and Grammar School had heard about the competition from his physics teacher, and his art teacher also encouraged him to enter. The student of the class with a specialism in computer science submitted a pastel artwork. He looked at all the images and was especially fascinated by one of them.
Noé started drawing more seriously a year ago. He had entered competitions before, but this is his first outstanding achievement so far. What does the future hold for him? He visualizes a unique combination of mathematics and fine art, which may even take him to the world of industrial design. This is not an unusual direction for the family, as Noé’s mother works as a ceramist. For Noé, physics is not a goal but, in this case, a means to fulfil his artistic ambitions. He looks forward to entering our next competition.
After the award ceremony, our guests had the opportunity to visit the exhibition displaying all the entries. In the Focus – Interactive Visitor Space, they could try out some exciting physics experiments; the laser harp and the polar ice cream were a hit with many. The participants of the event could also tour the interior of our research institute, which is open to visitors only on special occasions.
“We think that physics is an interesting and exciting field of science, and we want to share this experience with others. To this end, we hold two open days a year – the Day of Light in May and the Researchers’ Night event on the last weekend of September. During the Open Day events, we perform a lot of exciting experiments for those interested,” Katalin Varjú said, adding that that science popularization is one of the Institute’s main missions.