The Gift

Presented in multiple languages, The Gift is an immersive installation that animates contemporary astrophysics research and opens metaphorical space for grief, self-care, and renewal. The Gift tells the story of two stars that are so close to one another yet so far from us that they appear as a single point of light in the sky. Participants will gather in Commons, where they will encounter a sound score and an illustrated book—based on the astrophysics research of observational astrophysicist, Natalie Gosnell, PhD—that invites both tactile and emotional responses. It is presented in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean will include new Yale Schwarzman Center translation commissions in Arabic, and Braille. This tender story and playful experience heeds the call of anthropologist Emily Martin, to “wake the sleeping metaphors of science.” The Gift is a collaborative project between multi-disciplinary artist Janani Balasubramanian, Gosnell, and observational astrophysicist Andrew Kircher, PhD. The book features artwork by Amy Myers and design by Katie Hodge. The original sound score is by Tina-Hanaé Miller with arrangement by Solomon Hoffman.

The Gift is presented in collaboration with Yale University Libraries and Yale School of Public Health.