Painting the Universe: A Visual and Musical Exploration of Space-Time

Dr Karelle Siellez
University of Tasmania

Join us at the Australian National University for this free public lecture presented by the Australian Institute of Physics's 2026 Women in Physics Lecturer as part of the Marie Curie Lectures.

Tickets are FREE but registration is essential. Doors open 5:30 pm. Lecture and livestream begin 6:00pm. Lecture duration is approximately 1 hour. Lecture venue map reference.

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In this lecture, Dr Karelle Siellez weaves together sound, art, and astrophysics to explore the story of gravitational waves and the collisions that create the elements we are made of. Through “multi-messenger” signals like kilonovae and gamma-ray bursts, we’ll uncover how the cosmos communicates its most violent events. Blending scientific insights with creative expression, this journey reveals how listening to the Universe—and protecting its silence—can connect science, nature, and humanity.

Dr Karelle Siellez is an astrophysicist and lecturer at the University of Tasmania. A specialist in multi-messenger astronomy, she contributed to the first detection of a gamma-ray burst and gravitational waves from the same cosmic event, recognised with the 2017 Breakthrough Prize. She is also an award-winning science communicator who integrates art, sound, and storytelling into her work, making complex astrophysics accessible and inspiring. Karelle has lived and worked in France, the USA, and now Tasmania—where she divides her time between telescopes, classrooms, and the wilderness of sea and forest.

This Inspiring Australia initiative is supported by the Australian Government as part of National Science Week.