The Metro: Detroit techno legend Carl Craig turns nuclear physics into sound art at MSU
Renowned techno artist Carl Craig is working with scientists at Michigan State University to make nuclear physics into accessible art in a new installation.
Carl Craig is the 2026 MSUFCU Arts Power Up artist-in-residence,
In 2020, Detroit DJ and producer Carl Craig was tapped by the Dia Art Foundation in New York City to construct a sound installation inspired by the techno party scene. Party/Afterparty was a deeply personal sound and light exhibition that captured the euphoria of the club environment and the loneliness after parties ended.
Now, Carl Craig is mixing it up by going in a new, more scientific direction. He is the Arts Power Up artist in residence at Michigan State University. The residency embeds renowned artists on the college’s campus to collaborate with the university’s scientists.
Craig is working with a nuclear physics lab called the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). What FRIB does is a mystery to most people, so they brought Craig in to help explain it. His job as a world-renowned artist is to learn what FRIB does, then translate it into a sound-rich art installation so people like you and me can experience it.
Carl Craig joined the show to explain his approach and why he has taken on these art projects.
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