CERN’s international photographic exhibition Code of the Universe on display in Tampere from 5 to 14 May
Code of the Universe: A Photographic Journey of Discovery is a travelling photographic exhibition that has toured several European cities and is now coming to Finland. The exhibition will be on display at the Ratinanniemi Event Park in Tampere from 5 to 14 May. It is open to the public free of charge and is presented in English, with the exception of a Finnish-language panel showcasing research conducted at Tampere University.
The Code of the Universe exhibition has been developed in the context of the Future Circular Collider (FCC) study by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It showcases CERN, particle accelerators, and their scientific and societal significance, while examining the Universe and its fundamental questions, such as dark matter and the origins of the cosmos. These themes are presented through a unique visual experience, created in collaboration with internationally renowned photographers.
The photographs highlight both the scale and beauty of the Universe as well as the people, technologies and environments that advance fundamental research in particle physics. They pose questions such as ‘What is the Universe made of?’ and ‘Why does anything exist at all?’ At the heart of the exhibition are human curiosity, creativity and collaboration, all essential drivers of scientific discovery.
The exhibition shares stories of recent achievements in fundamental research, knowledge gained through international collaboration and technological breakthroughs. It invites the audience to reflect on how cutting‑edge research shapes our world. The photographs also illustrate how we all, as individuals, benefit from advances in physics.
After Tampere, the exhibition will visit Jyväskylä and Lahti. The final stop will be Helsinki, where the exhibition will be shown as part of the FCC Week 2026 organised by CERN.
Tampere University participates in the design of particle accelerators
As Tampere University engages in research collaboration with CERN, the exhibition at Ratinanniemi Event Park also includes a work showcasing electrical engineering research conducted at Tampere University.
Tiina Salmi, Academy Research Fellow at Tampere University, carries out research in electrical engineering in collaboration with CERN and other European universities and research institutes. Her research focuses on the development of superconducting magnets. These magnets carry very high electric currents without resistive losses and are used, for example, in medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems as well as in particle accelerators for physics research. Salmi’s primary research interests lie in the behaviour and protection of these magnets to prevent overheating under fault conditions.
Tampere University has contributed to the design of particle accelerators through projects such as the Future Circular Collider (FCC), the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HiLumi-LHC) and the Muon Collider. The Code of the Universe exhibition focuses, in particular, on the FCC study, which aims to design a future particle accelerator with a circumference of 90 kilometres.
“Particle accelerators rely on cutting-edge technologies, and the design and development of future accelerators also drive significant technological advances that can be applied in other fields,” says Salmi.
One key area of technological development is superconducting magnets, which are being further developed to improve their efficiency and reliability and thereby enhance accelerator performance and usability. In addition, research is being carried out to reduce the size of these magnets to cut costs, as this decreases the need for the expensive superconducting material.
The Code of the Universe exhibition at Ratinanniemi Event Park includes a work that showcases Tampere University’s research on superconducting magnets.
Further information
Tiina Salmi, Academy Research Fellow, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
+358 40 8490415, tiina.salmi [at] tuni.fi
